Draycote Water is a
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
and
country park near the village of
Dunchurch, south of
Rugby in
Warwickshire
Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...
, England, owned and operated by
Severn Trent Water. It draws its water from the
River Leam, and supplies
drinking water to Rugby and
Coventry
Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
. It is named after the nearby hamlet of
Draycote and is the largest body of water within Warwickshire.
The reservoir was created in the 1960s and was opened in 1970, with a new pipe and pump installed in 2012. It has a capacity of up to 5 billion
gallons (23 million m³) and a maximum depth of .
It is a site for
birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescop ...
and has a bird hide, with a feeding station sponsored by the
West Midland Bird Club. Severn-Trent manage an adjacent
country park. Draycote is used by cyclists, runners, windsurfers, fly fishers and for boating. Fishing is for
brown trout and
rainbow trout
The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributary, tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. The steelhead (sometimes called steelhead trout) is an Fish migration#Classification, ...
from the banks or from boats. A farm to the north east of the site has a herd of
alpaca
The alpaca (''Lama pacos'') is a species of South American camelid mammal. Traditionally, alpacas were kept in herds that grazed on the level heights of the Andes of Southern Peru, Western Bolivia, Ecuador, and Northern Chile. More recentl ...
s.
Description

Draycote Water is an artificial
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
, which supplies water to southern and eastern Warwickshire, in particular
Rugby (via
Barby Storage Reservoir
Barby Storage Reservoir is an underground reservoir (water), reservoir near Barby, Northamptonshire, Barby in Northamptonshire, England, owned and operated by Severn Trent Water. It supplies drinking water to Rugby, Warwickshire, Rugby, being fed ...
) and
Coventry
Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...
.
Owned and managed by
Severn Trent Water,
it is located just to the south of the
M45 motorway in the hamlet of
Draycote, which is close to
Dunchurch. It is accessed from the
A426 road, at . The reservoir has no natural inlets, its water being obtained by pumping from the nearby
River Leam and from nearby
Stanford Reservoir which obtains its water from the
River Avon.
It has an area of approximately , with a maximum depth of and a capacity of 5 billion
gallons (23 million m³).
The shoreline of the reservoir is a mixture of concrete and natural embankment.
Draycote Water was built between 1967 and 1969, to cope with rising demand in eastern and southern Warwickshire, and opened in 1970.
In early 2012 the reservoir had to be closed temporarily, as record-low rainfall during the winter months had caused its level to reduce to less than 50% of capacity. Severn Trent responded by reversing the flow of water in an existing pipeline between Draycote Water and Welches Meadow Reservoir adjacent to the River Leam in
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or simply LeamingtonEven more colloquially, also referred to as Lem or Leam (). (), is a spa town and civil parish in Warwickshire, England. Originally a small village called Leamington Pri ...
. This development required a short length of new pipe at the Draycote end and a new pump at Leamington.
Flora and fauna
The reservoir features many bird species. This includes the
great northern diver, which makes a prolonged visit during the winter months, along with
kittiwake and small numbers of
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
and
little gulls. There are several species of diving duck with the
tufted duck the most common, numbering around 1,200 individuals. The most common bird at the site is the
black-headed gull, which forms the majority of a gull roost of more than 50,000 individuals. A number of waders visit Draycote in the autumn, including the
ringed and
little ringed plover.
The reservoir's fish include the
brown trout and
rainbow trout
The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributary, tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. The steelhead (sometimes called steelhead trout) is an Fish migration#Classification, ...
, some with a mass in excess of . These are fished for sport, both from boats and from the banks.
To the north east of the reservoir is
Toft Farm, which features a herd of
alpaca
The alpaca (''Lama pacos'') is a species of South American camelid mammal. Traditionally, alpacas were kept in herds that grazed on the level heights of the Andes of Southern Peru, Western Bolivia, Ecuador, and Northern Chile. More recentl ...
s.
Sport and leisure
Draycote Water has a
country park on its southern shore, which extends across . The park has facilities for bird watching and fishing, as well as several nature trails and a visitor centre. A track around the perimeter allows cyclists and walkers to circumnavigate the reservoir, a total distance of . The Draycote Water Sailing Club is situated on the shoreline and offers dinghy sailing and windsurfing as well as races.
The reservoir's owner, Severn Trent Water, warns the public not to swim in the reservoir, citing the large depth, potentially cold temperatures, and the risk of currents caused by the pumps which supply the water.
See also
*
Stanford Reservoir
References
External links
Draycote BirdingDraycote Water Sailing Club
{{authority control
Country parks in Warwickshire
Drinking water reservoirs in England
Reservoirs in Warwickshire
RDraycote