Widdop Reservoir in Calderdale in West Yorkshire

• Report rights infringement
• published: 03 May 2010
• views: 3234

Widdop is a remote and beautiful area of moorland between Hebden Bridge and Burnley. The area has a wild and colourful setting of boulder-strewn bracken-clad slopes topped by millstone grit crags. Surrounding the reservoir on all sides are numerous small crags and boulders, which offer some excellent climbing and bouldering. The most well known are the Lakeside Boulders These are the large boulders beside the south shore of the reservoir next to the conifer plantation. Most weekends and summer evenings you can see rock climbers here. Widdop and many other local reservoirs were built by the engineer John Frederick La Trobe Bateman FRS. In 1834, after he became apprentice to Mr Dunn (a surveyor and engineer from Oldham), he set up in business as a civil engineer and land surveyor in Manchester. In 1869, he was invited to attend the opening of the Suez Canal. The temple-like design of the valve tower reminds us that he was very interested in and inspired by Egyptian matters. The additional building built by Yorkshire Water in their own so-called Egyptian style is a much less impressive effort to say the least! Widdop reservoir (the name means wide valley) was built to supply water to Halifax and materials were transported to the site up a 5.5 mile horse-drawn tramway from the velley bottom. A shanty town known locally as "Navvyopolis" was established at Widdop to cater for the navvies and their families. This had about two dozen huts, a store, a bakehouse and a reading room. At peak activity some 200 men were working on the project. The reservoir was completed in June 1878 covering 93 acres and holds 633 million gallons of water. There is now an excellent walk around the reservoir which gives relatively easy access to the boulders and even onto the tops of the moorland (with wide but steep paths in parts). Part of the route around Widdop forms an excellent mountain bike trail between Hebden Bridge and Burnley; and you see increasing numbers of bikers as well as walkers and climbers. A couple of words of caution though. Children have died swimming in the reservoir. AND Dogs must be kept on a lead to protect various ground-nesting birds. In short, the Widdop area provides remote, bleak and exposed moorland walks which are situated in an area of natural beauty with stunning scenery. This video shows an example of what sights I recorded on a short day trip on Saturday 24th April 2010. With many thanks Simon Flory Badger Specialist www.badgerland.co.uk