Dale Dike Reservoir Explained

Dale Dike Reservoir
Pushpin Map:United Kingdom Sheffield
Pushpin Map Alt:Relief map of Sheefield, South Yorkshire
Location:Sheffield
Type:Reservoir
Inflow:Dale Dike
Outflow:Dale Dike
Basin Countries:United Kingdom

Dale Dike Reservoir or Dale Dyke Reservoir is a reservoir in the north-east Peak District, in the City of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, a mile (1.6 km) west of Bradfield and eight miles (13 km) from the centre of Sheffield, on the Dale Dike, a tributary of the River Loxley.

Along with three other reservoirs around the village of Bradfield – Agden, Damflask and Strines – it was constructed between 1859 and 1864 by the Sheffield Waterworks Company to guarantee a supply of water to power the mills downstream and to supply drinking water to the growing population of Sheffield.[1] The architect was John Gunson.[2]

Great Sheffield Flood

See main article: Great Sheffield Flood. The original dam was constructed to a height of 29m (95feet) by John Towlerton Leather, and was completed by April 1863. The dam head had a puddle clay core and had a max volume of 3.24sigfig=3NaNsigfig=3. Filling took place soon after, and by 10 March 1864, the water level was 0.7m (02.3feet) below the crest of the dam.

At 23:30 on 11 March 1864, the day after the reservoir was finally full, the newly built dam failed. Over of water cascaded down the valley causing the Great Sheffield Flood, which caused massive damage downstream along the Loxley and Don and through the centre of Sheffield, destroying over 5,000 properties and killing 244 people.[3] [4] [5]

The new dam

The dam was rebuilt in 1875, some 300m (1,000feet) upstream of the previous dam head, and is still in use, holding 2063200m2 of water, now used exclusively for domestic purposes.[6] [7] It is owned by Yorkshire Water, part of the Kelda Group.[8]

See also

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: A Complete History of the Great Flood at Sheffield . 5 September 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071020055103/http://mick-armitage.staff.shef.ac.uk/sheffield/book/floodatsheffield.txt . 20 October 2007 . live.
  2. Web site: Meet The Gunsons . 1 December 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160310041244/http://mick-armitage.staff.shef.ac.uk/sheffield/gunsons.html . 10 March 2016 . live.
  3. Web site: Bradfield historical society . 2 August 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160809220925/http://www.bradfield-yorks-pc.co.uk/documents/Bradfield%20Historical%20Society.pdf . 9 August 2016 . live.
  4. Web site: Bradfield and the Dale Dike Dam Disaster . 28 November 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110907093400/http://www.theaa.com/walks/bradfield-and-the-dale-dike-dam-disaster-420844#background . 7 September 2011 . live.
  5. News: Wright . Oliver . The forgotten flood that deluged a city . 5 August 2020 . BBC News . 11 March 2014 . 1 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190701214633/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-26478728 . live .
  6. Web site: Dale Dike Reservoir . eip.ceh.ac.uk . 5 August 2020 . 11 June 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160611204850/https://eip.ceh.ac.uk/apps/lakes/detail.html#wbid=32388 . dead.
  7. Web site: Dale Dike Reservoir . environment.data.gov.uk . 5 August 2020 . 11 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240311064119/http://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/ReasonsForNotAchievingGood/480556 . live .
  8. News: Plimmer . Gill . Yorkshire Water investors look to sell £4bn stakes . 5 August 2020 . Financial Times . 3 December 2017 . subscription . 9 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201109033259/https://www.ft.com/content/555bec3c-d837-11e7-a039-c64b1c09b482 . live .

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