Reservoir anniversary remembered

By Tom Speight
Local Historian

The construction of the water tower at Castle Carrock Reservoir

On July 22nd, 1909, the North Cumbrian village of Castle Carrock put on its best frock, its newest bow tie and its shiniest shoes.

The Mayor of Carlisle, was in town, along with 150 of the great and good from the city.

No doubt there were dozens of others who came along to witness the streamers, the big marquee and the music.

All assembled in honour of the official opening of the brand new reservoir.

The construction had had been built on the eastern edge of the village.

According to the Carlisle Patriot newspaper the following day:

The silver salver presented when the Castle Carrock Reservoir opened in 1909

"The ceremony of formally opening the Castle Carrock Reservoir was performed yesterday by the Mayor of Carlisle, Mr W B Maxwell.

"The event marked the completion of the greatest undertaking upon which the city of Carlisle has embarked.

"Those who, at the invitation of the Mayor, witnessed the opening ceremony yesterday, must have felt pleased that the city's water should have been drawn from so free, open and bracing a countryside; and, as they gazed on the immense reservoir which has converted the Castle Carrock valley into a lake, they could rest assured as to the adequacy as well as to the purity of the supply."

It had taken 12 years of argument and planning, almost a quarter of a million pounds, and the labour of five hundred men.

Margaret Carr is the grand daughter of the 1909 Mayor of Carlisle WB Maxwell and she is seen here with Castle Carrock historian Tom Speight

But at last, the city of Carlisle and its surrounding area had a revolutionary, ready and reliable water supply fit for the start of the 20th Century.

Centenary

I live directly opposite the reservoir, and look out on it every day. I also regularly walk my dog around it. But I'm no engineer.

And it wasn't until I happened to stumble upon the date of the opening that I realised I had a centenary that needed marking.

It was literally staring me in the face.

It's a story of argument, of financial risk taking and of engineering audacity. No-one had built a storage reservoir so far away from a water intake before.

Castle Carrock Reservoir as it looks in 2009

No-one knew if the capacity would be right.

No-one had predicted that the cost of the project would double.

Legacy

A village of 275 people was suddenly invaded by up to 700 navvies - out of the 23 babies baptised in the parish church between 1907 and 1909, 16 were the offspring of men working on the Waterworks.

The legacy is a wonderful one.

The water from Castle Carrock still quenches the thirst of city dwellers.

The wildlife on and around the reservoir is one that "twitchers" and naturalists can spend hours enjoying.

Reflection

Clearing up at Castle Carrock Reservoir after the completion of the work there

The track around the reservoir is perfect for a circular walk - and of course, there have been generations of Reservoir Dogs that have benefited from it too…

But centenaries demand time for reflection.

You can see photographs, all over a hundred years old and all dug out of Carlisle Library (who hold their copyright), using the link below.

These images show just how much toil went into this magnificent project, and what a wonderful monument it created.

Photo gallery: The construction of Castle Carrock Reservoir