04 May 2011

Dammed Details



The dam to the Booth Wood Reservoir was commenced in 1966 and opened in 1971. Damming the River Ryburn, it's 850 feet high, 1,160 feet wide, and of 148 feet maximum thickness. But it's details at the base of the dam that attract the eye - blocks to break up water flow, V-notch weir measuring gauges, and iron-rich water-staining.



The dam can be reached by turning off the M62 and heading for Sowerby Bridge. By heading back up towards the motorway via narrow lanes, one can reach Ringstone Edge Reservoir (below), high above Huddersfield. Almost entirely encircled by a stone wall, and with a massive earth bank, Ringstone, built 1886, feels very different to Booth Wood. The two wheelhouses are listed.

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