Lockwood Reservoir is located in
Walthamstow
Walthamstow ( or ) is a town within the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London. The town borders Chingford to the north, Snaresbrook and South Woodford to the east, Leyton and Leytonstone to the south, and Tottenham to the west. At ...
in the
London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is one of the ten
Walthamstow Reservoirs, which are part of the
Lee Valley Reservoir Chain. The reservoirs supply drinking water to
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
and are owned by
Thames Water.
Ecology
The reservoir is a
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...
(SSSI).
History
In 1852, the
East London Waterworks Company (ELWC) was granted permission to develop land at Walthamstow for reservoirs and by 1863, the first stage of the reservoirs’ development was completed with the construction of Reservoir Nos. 1, 2 and 3. In 1897, Lockwood was the last reservoir to be created and also the largest – covering 30 hectares and excavated to a depth of around 8 metres. Named after one of the ELWC’s directors, it was a major engineering feat for its day - requiring a huge labour force of 1,250 men. Unlike the first reservoirs, which were dug mainly by hand, Lockwood was constructed with plenty of steam-powered pumps, engines and cranes - as well as a team of 50 horses! The ELWC was taken over by the
Metropolitan Water Board in 1904.
Lockwood Reservoir
Retrieved 16 November 2007
See also
* London water supply infrastructure
* List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in London
References
{{authority control
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in London
Thames Water reservoirs
Reservoirs in London
Walthamstow
RLockwood
Drinking water reservoirs in England