| Brent Reservoir | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | Brent |
| Coordinates | |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary outflows | River Brent |
| Basin countries | United Kingdom |
| Surface area | 110 acres (445,154 m²) |
| Brent Reservoir | |
| Official name | Brent Reservoir |
|---|---|
| Locale | Brent, UK |
| Maintained by | British Waterways |
| Construction began | 1835 |
| Opening date | 1838 |
The Brent Reservoir (popularly called the Welsh Harp) is a reservoir which straddles the boundary between the London Boroughs of Brent and Barnet and is owned by British Waterways. The London Borough of Brent ( is a London borough in north west London, UK and forms part of Outer London. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use In Hydrology, the discharge or outflow of a River is the volume of Water transported by it in a certain amount of time The Brent is a river within Greater London which is a tributary of the River Thames. A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here The London Borough of Brent ( is a London borough in north west London, UK and forms part of Outer London. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A reservoir is most broadly a place or hollow vessel where Fluid is kept in Reserve, for later use The London Borough of Brent ( is a London borough in north west London, UK and forms part of Outer London. The London Borough of Barnet ( is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. The reservoir takes its informal name from its characteristic shape as seen in plan,[1] namely a welsh harp. The Welsh triple harp ( telyn deires) is a type of Harp using three rows of strings instead of the common single row A nearby public house, dating from at least 1751, used the name Old Welsh Harp for much of its history, although this has given rise to a popular myth that the reservoir was named after the pub when it was the other way around. Inns are establishments where travellers can procure Food, Drink, and Lodging. The inn itself was originally called The Harp and Horn. [2]
The reservoir is fed by the Silk Stream and the River Brent, and its outflow is the River Brent. The Brent is a river within Greater London which is a tributary of the River Thames. It is said to contain enough water to fill 3 million baths, and in 1994 when the reservoir was drained over 6,700 lb of fish were captured, 95% of which was Roach. However, fishing is prohibited at the reservoir.
The reservoir is also a sailing centre (although the Youth Sailing Base is closed for redevelopment). Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force
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Construction of the reservoir
Plans for the construction had been laid in 1803 but abandoned because of cost. However the canal system continued to develop in the early years of the 19th century and there was ongoing water supply problems. By 1820 it was found that there was not enough water to supply the Grand Union Canal and the Regent's Canal so under powers granted by an Act of Parliament in 1819, a decision was made by the Regent's Canal Company to dam the River Brent and create a reservoir. The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. The Regent's Canal is a Canal across an area just to the north of central London, England.
The reservoir was constructed by William Hoof between 1834 and 1835. The water flooded much of what was Cockman’s Farm, to supply the Regent's Canal at Paddington. Paddington is an area of the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. It was originally called Kingsbury Reservoir and was 69 acres in extent, covering an area between Old Kingsbury Church and the Edgware Road. Edgware Road is a major Street which passes through the west of Central London, England, in the City of Westminster. Hoof, who was awarded the tender for the work (including the construction of a bridge) received the sum of £2,740 and six shillings. [3]
The construction did not proceed without problems; in August 1835, just a few months before completion, four brothers named Sidebottom drowned in an accident.
Additional building work was completed in December 1837 to extend the size of the reservoir. In 1841 after seven days of continuous rain the dam head collapsed, killing two people. [4] It was after this that a man was employed for the first time as a superviser, with a cottage built for him near the dam. This cottage still exists today.
At its greatest extent it covered 400 acres (1. 6 km²) in 1853, but was dramatically reduced to 195 acres (789,000 m²) in the 1890s, and subsequently has been reduced to 110 acres (445,000 m²).
Recreation
During the second half of the 19th century the area became famous as a popular destination for recreation and evening entertainments, almost entirely due to the efforts of one man, W. P. Warner (1832-1899), who in 1858 became landlord of the Old Welsh Harp Tavern. The tavern stood on the Edgware Road, near to where it crossed the River Brent. Warner, who had fought with distinction in the Crimean War, created the tavern along the lines of the great London Pleasure gardens (ironically at the same time when the most famous of them all, the Vauxhall finally closed its doors). The Crimean War, also known in Russia as the Eastern War (Восточная война Vostochnaya Vojna) (March 1854–February 1856 was fought For about 40 years, Warner made the Old Welsh Harp Tavern one of London's most popular places and it was celebrated in song by the music hall star Annie Adams as 'The Jolliest Place That's Out'.
The amusements were focused not just on the inn, but around the reservoir itself. Warner operated a race track for a number of years until an Act of Parliament made its continuance illegal. The first greyhound races with mechanical hares took place here in 1876. Greyhound racing is the Sport of Racing Greyhounds The Dogs chase a lure (traditionally an artificial Hare or Rabbit Hares and jackrabbits are Leporids belonging to the Genus Lepus. In 1891, there was an attempt by Capazza to launch his 'Patent Parachute Balloon', a contraption which failed to leave the ground. Accounts at the time recorded that there were some 'nasty incidents' among the 5000 spectators following this failed attempt. These activities often attracted a mixed clientele and crime and violence was not uncommon. Indeed, one social observer described the races as a 'carnival of vice'. The reservoir, like nearby Hampstead Heath, was also famous for its Bank Holiday fairs. Hampstead Heath (locally known as "the Heath" is London 's largest ancient parkland covering 3 A bank holiday is a Public holiday in the United Kingdom and also in the Republic of Ireland. There was an incident during its Victorian heyday when a bear escaped from the Tavern's menagerie.
In winter, the reservoir froze over and proved ideal for skating; indeed national and international ice-skating events were held here. In February 1893, Jack Selby became famous for driving a coach and four horses across the frozen reservoir. Towards the end of the 19th Century, increasing urbanisation led to the end of this hedonistic chapter of the reservoir. [5]
The Midland Railway built its Welsh Harp station on its new line from Bedford into St.Pancras. The Midland Railway (MR was a Railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed from 1844 to 1922 when it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Welsh Harp railway station was built by the Midland Railway in 1870 on its extension to St Bedford is the County town of Bedfordshire, England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the Bedford borough St Pancras railway station is a major railway station situated in the St Pancras area of Central London between the British Library and King's Cross The area lost its attraction with the development of West Hendon between 1895 and 1915. West Hendon is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. History West Hendon was a settlement within that part of the ancient parish of Hendon known
Naturists gathered at the Welsh Harp from 1921 onwards, until an incident in June 1930 when about 250 sunbathers were attacked by around 200 objectors. Naturism or nudism is a cultural and Political movement advocating and defending social Nudity in private and in public. [6] Later the reservoir was popular as a resort for speed boat trials and other water sports, until its size became unsuitable for such activity.
War history
The Mechanical Warfare Department, part of the War Office, which was based nearby in Cricklewood used the Welsh Harp to secretly carry out the first tests of a massive new weapon from 1916 onward - the Tank, especially the amphibious version of the Mark IX tank. The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963 when Cricklewood is a district of North London, England whose northeastern part is in the London Borough of Barnet, western part is the London Borough of A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical The Mark IX tank was a British Armoured fighting vehicle from the First World War, the world's first specialised Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC Early film of these tests was shown on British Television in the late 1990s. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic During the Second World War, a seaplane was kept on the reservoir and rumoured to be an escape route for the Prime Minister. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. Local residents have recounted tales of swimming out to the plane. [7]
Wildlife and nature conservation
During the construction of the reservoir, the Welsh Harp became known to London's ornithologists as an area that attracted rare and uncommon birds. The prominent figures of James Harting and Walpole-Bond were regular visitors to the Welsh Harp and 'bagged' (shot) many birds. Harting later documented these in his 1866 book the Birds of Middlesex. Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common They included several rare vagrants to the UK such as Little Bittern, Squacco Heron and White-rumped Sandpiper. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Little Bittern ( Ixobrychus minutus) is a wading Bird in the Heron family Ardeidae, native to the Old World, breeding in The Squacco Heron, Ardeola ralloides, is a small Heron, 40-49 cm long with 82-95 cm wingspan The White-rumped Sandpiper, Calidris or Erolia fuscicollis is a small Shorebird. This started an interest in the birds of the Welsh Harp that has continued right up until today, giving a unique historical perspective of a site in London. The next prominent ornithologist to take an interest in the area was William Glegg from around the 1920s onwards and he wrote a paper from the London Naturalist in 1930 called 'The Birds of Middlesex since 1866, then wrote a follow up book to Harting's in 1935, called A History of the Birds of Middlesex. William Glegg was the founder of the Calday Grange Grammar School. After the Second World War, a new generation of ornithologists took an interest in the Welsh Harp, such as Professor Warmington, and Eric Simms, who lived just south of the reservoir in Dollis Hill. Eric Simms (born 1945 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia) was an Australian Aboriginal Rugby league player Dollis Hill is an area of north-west London. It lies close to Willesden, in the London Borough of Brent. They were later joined by Dr Leo Batten in the late 1950s who still visits the reservoir today and was one of the prime movers in setting up the Welsh Harp Conservation Group (WHCG) in 1972 to fight off development. The WHCG has since worked tirelessly to protect the area as a nature reserve, including preventing a golf course and driving range from being built. The WHCG produces an annual report and also published a book about the reservoir – Birds of Brent Reservoir – in 2000, which includes chapters on the social history, the effects of urbanisation, the habitats, as well as an in-depth study of the birds, animals and other wildlife. The WHCG organise regular management work, such as annual refurbishment of the tern rafts and work closely with Brent and Barnet Councils on site management, including inputting to National Lottery bids. The National Lottery is the largest Lottery in the United Kingdom.
The eastern and northern marshes were designated as a SSSI in 1975, mainly due to the diversity of the site's breeding waterbirds. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a Conservation designation denoting a Protected area in the United Kingdom. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Much of the reservoir and surrounding open space was designated as a Local Nature Reserve in 2005.
Birds of the reservoir
The reservoir is an important site for breeding waterbirds such as Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall, Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck and Common Tern. The Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus is a member of the Grebe family of water birds The Gadwall, Anas strepera is a common and widespread Duck of the family Anatidae. The shovelers, formerly known as shovellers, are four species of Dabbling ducks with long broad spatula-shaped beaks Red Shoveler, The Common Pochard ( Aythya ferina) is a medium-sized Diving duck. The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized Diving duck with a population of close to one million birds The Common Tern ( Sterna hirundo) is a Seabird of the Tern family Sternidae At one stage, the reservoir was second only to Rutland Water for the most breeding pairs of Great Crested Grebe in the UK. Rutland Water is a Reservoir in the county of Rutland, England, just east of the county town Oakham. Other breeding birds include eight species of warbler. In 2008, the first nesting attempt by Great Cormorant took place as well as the first nesting attempt by Grey Heron for several years. The Great Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo) known as the Great Black Cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere the Black Cormorant in Australia and the The Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea) is a wading Bird of the Heron family Ardeidae native throughout temperate Europe and Asia
The reservoir has always enjoyed a reputation for producing rare birds. As well those documented above during its early days, it attracted two Black-winged Stilts in 1918; the first Great White Egret in London in 1997; Blue-winged Teal in 1996; Lesser Scaup in 2003 and Penduline Tits in 1996 and 1997. The Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus himantopus, is a widely distibuted very long-legged Wader in the Avocet and Stilt family Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Great Egret Ardea alba, also known as the Great White Egret, or Common Egret, is a wading Egret, found in most of the tropical and Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The Blue-winged Teal ( Anas discors) is a small Dabbling duck. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) The Lesser Scaup ( Aythya affinis) is a small North American Diving duck. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The penduline tits are a family of small passerine Birds related to the true tits. Remarkably for an inland site, it also attracted several rare warblers, notably Aquatic Warbler in 1955, Hume's Warbler in 2004, Yellow-browed Warblers in 1994 and 2003; however, most significant was an Iberian Chiffchaff on 3 June 1972 which was the first record of this species to be recorded in the UK. The Aquatic Warbler, Acrocephalus paludicola, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) thumb|At Biskeri (11000 ftin Kullu - Manali District of Himachal Pradesh India thumb|left|At Biskeri (11000 ft "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The Yellow-browed Warbler or Inornate Warbler, ( Phylloscopus inornatus) is a Leaf warbler which breeds in Asia east from the Urals to Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The Common Chiffchaff or simply Chiffchaff, Phylloscopus collybita, is a common and widespread Leaf warbler, named for its distinctive onomatopoeic
Insects
Many other forms of wildlife have also been well studied over the years and were documented in the WHCG book. There have been 28 species of butterfly seen at the reservoir, including breeding Marbled White, the closest site for these to the centre of London. The Marbled White ( Melanargia galathea) is a Butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Scarce species include a single Dark Green Fritillary in 1999. The Dark Green Fritillary ( Argynnis aglaja) is a Butterfly of the Nymphalidae family Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Prior to the construction of the reservoir, Marsh Fritillary used to breed. The Marsh Fritillary ( Euphydryas aurinia) is a Butterfly of the Nymphalidae family Dragonflies have recently been studied and 14 species have been seen, of which 12 breed at the reservoir.
Mammals
Few mammals are seen by most visitors to the reservoir, Grey Squirrel being the most obvious; Red Fox is common but mostly nocturnal. The eastern gray squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis) is a Tree squirrel native to the eastern and Midwestern United States and to the southerly The Red Fox ( Vulpes vulpes) is a Mammal of the order Carnivora. Muntjac have been present since the beginning of the 21st century but are very shy, their presence noted mainly by their tracks. The reservoir is particularly notable for its bats with three species of Pipistrelle, Noctule, Leisler's Bat, Serotine and Daubenton's Bat all recorded on a single day in September 2007. Pipistrellus is a genus of Bats in the family Vespertilionidae and subfamily Vespertilioninae. The bat genus Nyctalus (Noctule bats are members of the family Vespertilionidae ( Vesper bats or sometimes Evening bats. The Lesser Noctule or Leisler's Bat ( Nyctalus leisleri) is a species of Bat belonging to the Vesper bat family Vespertilionidae The serotine bat Eptesicus serotinus is a fairly large European Bat with quite large Ears It has a wingspan of around 370mm and often hunts Daubenton's Bat, Myotis daubentonii, is a Eurasian Bat with quite short ears Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
References
- ^ Map and aerial photo sources
- ^ West Hendon
- ^ Birds of Brent Reservoir, 2001 ISBN 0-9541862-0-6
- ^ Defra: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/rs/pdf/defra_rs_flood-etc-16.pdf
- ^ Birds of Brent Reservoir, 2001 ISBN 0-9541862-0-6
- ^ History of British Naturism. West Hendon is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. History West Hendon was a settlement within that part of the ancient parish of Hendon known
- ^ Birds of Brent Reservoir, 2001 ISBN 0-9541862-0-6
External links
- The Welsh Harp Conservation Group
- Barnet Council's page on Welsh Harp, checked March 2007
- Brent Council's page on Welsh Harp, checked July 2005
- The Bankolidaid a macaronic verse about a typical bank holiday trip to fons Brent Reservoir [1]
Gallery
 View from the hide towards the dam |
 Silver Jubilee Park is part of the open space surrounding the reservoir |
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