Thruscross Reservoir is the northernmost of four reservoirs in the Washburn valley, lying north of

Otley Otley is a market town and civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the population was 13,668 at the 2011 c ...

and west of

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and civil parish in the North Yorkshire District, district and North Yorkshire, county of North Yorkshire, England. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist de ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in Northern England.The Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority areas of City of York, York and North Yorkshire (district), North Yorkshire are in Yorkshire and t ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, near the hamlet of Thruscross. It can be found on an unclassified road from the

A59 road The A59 is a major road in England which is around long and runs from Wallasey, Merseyside to York, North Yorkshire. The alignment formed part of the Trunk Roads Act 1936, being then designated as the A59. It is a key route connecting Merseysi ...

(where the road from Otley joins). Permission to construct the reservoir was granted via a water order in 1960 and Thruscross was completed in 1966, much later than the other three reservoirs which date back to the nineteenth century.

Flooded village

The construction of the reservoir flooded the village of West End, which was already largely derelict following the decline of the

flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. In 2022, France produced 75% of t ...

industry. There is another hamlet close to the reservoir that retains the name of West End. The remains of a flax mill can be seen at the edge of the reservoir, and more of the village has been revealed at times of drought, such as the summers of 1989 and 1990. The work to build the reservoir included clearing trees, removing sacred items from the church, and exhuming bodies from the graveyard.

Management

The reservoir is the property of

Yorkshire Water Yorkshire Water is a British water supply and treatment utility company servicing West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire, part of North Lincolnshire, most of North Yorkshire and part of Derbyshire, in England. The company ...

, which manages it for the benefit of walkers, anglers and wildlife. The section of the river below the reservoir is used for

whitewater kayaking Whitewater kayaking is an outdoor adventure sport where paddlers navigate a river in a specially designed kayak. Whitewater kayaking includes several styles: river running, creeking, slalom, playboating, and squirt boating. Each style offers ...

when water is released by Yorkshire Water.

Cultural references

In the novel '' In a Dry Season'' by the English-born, Canadian-based crime writer Peter Robinson, the fictional village of Hobb's End, flooded by the creation of the Thornfield Reservoir, is exposed during a drought, leading to the discovery of a body. The geography described by Robinson indicates that he based the location of Hobb's End on the village of West End. The small bridge over the Washburn becomes the 'Fairy Bridge' and the flax mill is mentioned explicitly. Thruscross Dam

References

External links

Yorkshire Water – Thruscross

Yorkshire Water guide to the area immediately surrounding the reservoir
{{authority control Drinking water reservoirs in England Reservoirs in North Yorkshire