Scar House and Angram Reservoirs
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Angram and Scar House Reservoirs were built to supply the Bradford area. Drinking water is transferred from the reservoir by means of the Nidd aqueduct. This is a feat of engineering ingenuity that enables the supply to be maintained without the aid of pumping. Angram Reservoir, at the head of the dale and closest to the
source of the river Nidd, was completed in 1919. Scar House,
the last reservoir to be built in the valley, followed in 1936
and took fifteen years to complete. Stone for the dam was
quarried from two sites which can be seen either side of the dam at
Scar House.
During the construction period, a village was built just below
the dam to house the workforce. It had hot and cold water,
electric lighting and flushing toilets together with shops, a
cinema and a concert hall.
Working conditions were harsh and a resident doctor and
nurse cared for workers' health in an on-site
hospital. The Nidderdale Museum has
lots of information about the reservoir and the construction
worker's village.
Today's facilities at Scar House include a large car park, public toilets and 3 picnic areas. Yorkshire Water has created two waymarked footpath routes - a high level route around Little Whernside which is suitable for the more active walker and a low level circular route around Scar House, mostly on surfaced roads and tracks. Gouthwaite
Reservoir is home to a nature reserve, which features three
viewing points of ornithological interest. For those
interested in bird watching you will find many different species at
all of the reservoirs.
More information on Nidderdale Reservoirs can be found on
theYorkshire
Water website.
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