| Orchardleigh Lake | |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location in Somerset |
| Location: | Somerset |
| Coords: | 51.256°N -2.318°W |
| Type: | artificial lake |
| Pushpin Map: | Somerset |
| Basin Countries: | United Kingdom |
| Area: | 11.23ha |
| Islands: | 1 |
Orchardleigh Lake (also spelt Orchardlea) is an 11.23-hectare artificial lake in the grounds of the Orchardleigh Estate, just north of Frome, Somerset, England. It was formed by damming a tributary of the River Frome. Today, the lake is used for angling[1] and birdwatching.
There is a small island towards the western side of lake where St Mary's Church can be found. It was built in the 13th century, and underwent extensive renovation by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1878. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building.[2] Weddings are often performed at the church, which has capacity for 120 guests. It is reached from the lakeside via a footbridge, and a public footpath runs nearby over another bridge across the lake.
There are two lakes: a small lake overlooked by the island church, and a much larger one approximately 150 metres away through a wooded area to the east, which has a stone-built boathouse.
In 1932 a pair of black-necked grebes bred at the lake, the only occasion on which this species has been recorded breeding in Somerset. The lake regularly hosts small numbers of common waterfowl, including breeding little and great crested grebes and mute swan, and wintering tufted duck and pochard. Rarer species have occasionally been sighted: