Alwen Reservoir
Encyclopedia
The Alwen Reservoir or Cronfa Alwen is a 5km long reservoir near Pentre-Llyn-Cymmer in the county borough of Conwy
, North Wales
, held back by the 27 metre high Alwen Dam. It impounds the Afon Alwen, and the dam is 8km downstream from Llyn Alwen
. It was built between 1909 and 1921, originally to supply water to the town of Birkenhead
, near Liverpool
. Today it is part of the River Dee regulation system
and is operated by Welsh Water
/ Dŵr Cymru (DCWW).
The dam
is a gravity-arch masonry dam
. The "first stone" of the dam records that the engineers were Sir Alex. Binnie, Son and [George] Deacon
and the contractors were Robert McAlpine and Sons. A large water treatment facility was built below the dam, and a cast iron underground aqueduct laid to Birkenhead. The original water treatment buildings are still standing, but the equipment inside has long gone, replaced by modern plant in a new building.
The operators, Welsh Water
/ Dŵr Cymru (DCWW) have a scheme to teach children about the importance of water, linked to the National Curriculum Key Stage 2 and offer an on-site classroom and guided tours of the water treatment works to schools. The nearby Outdoor Education Centre at Pentre-Llyn-Cymmer accommodates children during school trips.
The reservoir is very close to Llyn Brenig
. It is at the end of a valley, and has no through routes around it for vehicles. However the reservoir has an extensive network of trails (public foot paths as well as forest roads suitable for horse riding, mountain biking and walking).
Footpaths around the reservoir have recently been upgraded (2005/2006) providing better access to the general public and allows greater exploration of the North and South Alwen forests.
Fishing is permitted through permit (which can be purchased from the visitors centre at the nearby Llyn Brenig visitors centre).
Vehicular access is limited due to Forestry Commission controlled gates which are sometimes padlocked.
Conwy (county borough)
Conwy County Borough is a unitary authority area in North Wales.-Geography:It contains the major settlements of Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Llanrwst, Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, Colwyn Bay, Abergele, Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan, and has a total population of about 110,000.The River Conwy, after...
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, held back by the 27 metre high Alwen Dam. It impounds the Afon Alwen, and the dam is 8km downstream from Llyn Alwen
Llyn Alwen
Llyn Alwen is a small upland lake on the Denbigh moors in North Wales at SH 898 565.It lies on the rolling Silurian moorland to the north-west of Mwdwl-eithin and about 10 km to the east of Betws y Coed. The discharge from the lake flows under the A543 road to form the headwater of Alwen...
. It was built between 1909 and 1921, originally to supply water to the town of Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, near Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. Today it is part of the River Dee regulation system
River Dee regulation system
The River Dee regulation scheme is a system of flow balancing and quality management along the River Dee managed by a consortium of the three largest water companies licensed to take water from the river, United Utilities, Welsh Water and Dee Valley Water; together with the regulator, the...
and is operated by Welsh Water
Welsh Water
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is a company which supplies drinking water and wastewater services to most of Wales and parts of western England.It is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991.-History:...
/ Dŵr Cymru (DCWW).
The dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
is a gravity-arch masonry dam
Masonry dam
Masonry dams are dams made out of masonry; mainly stone and brick. They are either the gravity or the arch type.The largest masonry dam of the world is Nagarjunasagar Dam in India....
. The "first stone" of the dam records that the engineers were Sir Alex. Binnie, Son and [George] Deacon
George Deacon (civil engineer)
George Frederick Deacon was an English Civil Engineer. He was a pupil and lifelong friend of William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin. He was Lord Kelvin's assistant on the SS Great Eastern cable-laying expedition. He was both borough engineer and water engineer to Liverpool from 1871 to 1880, and water...
and the contractors were Robert McAlpine and Sons. A large water treatment facility was built below the dam, and a cast iron underground aqueduct laid to Birkenhead. The original water treatment buildings are still standing, but the equipment inside has long gone, replaced by modern plant in a new building.
The operators, Welsh Water
Welsh Water
Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water is a company which supplies drinking water and wastewater services to most of Wales and parts of western England.It is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991.-History:...
/ Dŵr Cymru (DCWW) have a scheme to teach children about the importance of water, linked to the National Curriculum Key Stage 2 and offer an on-site classroom and guided tours of the water treatment works to schools. The nearby Outdoor Education Centre at Pentre-Llyn-Cymmer accommodates children during school trips.
The reservoir is very close to Llyn Brenig
Llyn Brenig
Llyn Brenig is a reservoir located in North Wales, in the heart of the Denbigh Moors, on the border between the counties of Conwy and Denbighshire...
. It is at the end of a valley, and has no through routes around it for vehicles. However the reservoir has an extensive network of trails (public foot paths as well as forest roads suitable for horse riding, mountain biking and walking).
Footpaths around the reservoir have recently been upgraded (2005/2006) providing better access to the general public and allows greater exploration of the North and South Alwen forests.
Fishing is permitted through permit (which can be purchased from the visitors centre at the nearby Llyn Brenig visitors centre).
Vehicular access is limited due to Forestry Commission controlled gates which are sometimes padlocked.