The Smallest Reservoir

[Heartland]

The recent comments about water supply has left me to consider what was the smallest canal reservoir. There was a reservoir on Birmingham Heath, near Winson Green in the early days of the original Birmingham Canal Navigation-  might this be a candidate?

 

 

[Martin Nicholas]

Wilton Water - small and the only one for the summit of the K&A.

[BEngo]

Much depends on the definition of size.  Area when full?  Capacity in london buses?  Depth?

 

All the individual reservoirs at Marsworth/Tringford/Wilstone are quite small, both in area and capacity,  but they are managed as one reservoir.

 

I would think the smallest reservoir (defined as a construction for holding water to be used in canal locks or to make up losses)   will be a narrow lock side-pond somewhere.  Atherstone and Drotwich come to mind as workable examples.  The wide southern GU ones were split into two rises so were smaller than might at first appear.

 

N

[magpie patrick]

I think I'd define a reservoir in this context as an artificial lake (or an existing lake artificially enlarged) for the collection and sustained supply of water for navigation. Side ponds therefore don't count as they're not sustained, only lasting half a lock full before they need topping up. 

 

I haven't a clue which would be the smallest, which I'd measure as available capacity for supply. 

[matty40s]

The eastern end of Braunston marina was originally a supply rwsovoir I believe.

[jake_crew]

Sparth ?  a mile east of Marsden on the HNC ?

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

34 minutes ago, jake_crew said:

Sparth ?  a mile east of Marsden on the HNC ?

I used to swim there. 

 

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

The eastern end of Braunston marina was originally a supply rwsovoir I believe.

The bottom lock emptied into it, rather than let the Grand Junction Canal Company's water go into the Oxford Canal, and then it was pumped back up to the summit.

Edited December 8, 2022 by David Mack

[BEngo]

 

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

The eastern end of Braunston marina was originally a supply rwsovoir I believe.

It also received the run off from the weir above the bottom lock, again to ensure the Oxford Canal Co. did not receive it.

 

Does anyone know how the bottom lock was emptied into the reservoir?  There are no obvious side paddle remnants today. 

 

N

Edited December 8, 2022 by BEngo

[Derek R.]

Weston Turville was pretty small. Fed the Wendover arm originally.

[alan_fincher]

5 hours ago, BEngo said:

I would think the smallest reservoir (defined as a construction for holding water to be used in canal locks or to make up losses)   will be a narrow lock side-pond somewhere.  Atherstone and Drotwich come to mind as workable examples.

 

Or paired locks where one could be used as a side pond for its "twin" - e.g. Hillmorton or the (former) Regents Canal twinned locks.

[Ray T]

1 hour ago, BEngo said:

 

It also received the run off from the weir above the bottom lock, again to ensure the Oxford Canal Co. did not receive it.

 

Does anyone know how the bottom lock was emptied into the reservoir?  There are no obvious side paddle remnants today. 

 

N

https://collections.canalrivertrust.org.uk/bw192.3.2.2.12.1.317

 

[BEngo]

Thank you.  I shall have a close look at the ground next time we are that way.

 

N

[Richard Carter]

12 minutes ago, BEngo said:

Thank you.  I shall have a close look at the ground next time we are that way.

 

N

 

As I recall, when the lock is empty there's a filled in paddle culvert visible in the towpath side lock wall - it is above the water level of the empty lock, as would be expected, as the last 6" of each lockfull was to go into the Oxford Canal. The water soon emerged into the open behind the iron railings (this channel partly filled in now) and then flowed under what is now the UCC office into the ditch which still exists alongside the towpath, and so to the reservoir. There was/is a culvert linking to the pumphouse, can't remember if I ever knew where exactly that was.

 

Thanks to RayT for the aerial view, didn't know that one.

[Stroudwater1]

 I’ve thought  the point and definition of  a reservoir is to receive and store water from another source apart from the canal but now I’m not sure. Some of these reservoirs as discussed are only receiving water from the canal 🤣? The definition seems to be a large lake used as a store of water so perhaps the smallest is the smallest large lake that’s actually called a reservoir 🤣
 

The reservoir a couple of locks down the Tardibigge flight  seems small to me. I would think it smaller than the Marsworth ones or Sparth? However Google maps seems to denote it as a lake?? 

Would the pounds on the lower Lapworth lock flight be seen as a reservoir? Between lock 19 and 20 especially with no boats able to enter? Not sure there is a separate feed other than  from the canal

[Ray T]

1 hour ago, Stroudwater1 said:

 I’ve thought  the point and definition of  a reservoir is to receive and store water from another source apart from the canal but now I’m not sure. Some of these reservoirs as discussed are only receiving water from the canal 🤣? The definition seems to be a large lake used as a store of water so perhaps the smallest is the smallest large lake that’s actually called a reservoir 🤣
 

The reservoir a couple of locks down the Tardibigge flight  seems small to me. I would think it smaller than the Marsworth ones or Sparth? However Google maps seems to denote it as a lake?? 

Would the pounds on the lower Lapworth lock flight be seen as a reservoir? Between lock 19 and 20 especially with no boats able to enter? Not sure there is a separate feed other than  from the canal

There are quite a few side pounds on the Hatton Flight. By the definition of their name I would take it that these are not officially a reservoir.

I gather Todbrook Reservoir is quite small at the moment. 😁

Edited December 9, 2022 by Ray T

[magpie patrick]

1 hour ago, Stroudwater1 said:

 I’ve thought  the point and definition of  a reservoir is to receive and store water from another source apart from the canal

that's certainly the definition I'd use and I think attempts to define sideponds as reservoirs in this context is more a case of the usual pedants and mischief makers attempting to stop serious historical research!  

[BWM]

There is a tiny one that feeds into the main line in the turn next to the Kings arms near Knowle, and Olton mere is fairly small having been reduced in size when the railway cut through one side of it - it is much shallower than any other i'm familiar with too.

[David Mack]

3 hours ago, BWM said:

There is a tiny one that feeds into the main line in the turn next to the Kings arms near Knowle

That feeds in from a stream. There is a pond close to the control sluices, but I don't think it's a canal reservoir.

[Iain_S]

How about Tunnel end reservoir at Marsden on the Huddersfield Narrow? It's almost completely drained, but I think still feeds into the canal (sometimes)

[Ray T]

Would any of the reservoirs which fed / used to feed the Rochdale Canal qualify?

Edited December 10, 2022 by Ray T

[Heartland]

An interesting cross section of opinion. As to Winson Green, this was quite small and beside the line of the canal. The thought come from the knowledge that when contractors commenced building the BCN in 1768 the main body of construction began at Birmingham Heath where a local supply of water would be needed to fill sections so that contractors boats could move along.

 

[angelasoldman]

Dimingsdale on the Staffs and Worcestershire.

[Derek R.]

9 hours ago, angelasoldman said:

Dimingsdale on the Staffs and Worcestershire.

Roughly 80,000sqft. That's small.

[Heartland]

In 1806 the BCN engineer reported that the Birmingham Heath Reservoir held 250 locks, but Hanson's Reservoir was smaller holding 100 locks. The Wednesbury Canal held 130 locks. The greatest supply of water was then Broadwaters on the Walsall Canal which the BCN drained by a pumping engine, Broadwaters was a stretch of pools near Wednesbury where people occasionally drowned. The draining of the area opened up an estate for mining and iron-making.

 

This last figure would relate to a summit level of a canal being used as a reservoir. At that time the Wednesbury Canal canal ended near Gold Hill  and was at a higher level than the Tame, but it is worthy of thought to see if James Brindley ever considered this area as a water supply. The working of nearby mines assisted with the water supply later.