Carr Mill Dam
Encyclopedia
Carr Mill Dam is situated north of St Helens
town centre, on the A571 (Carr Mill Road), in Merseyside
. It is the county's largest body of inland water, and offers picturesque lakeside trails and walks, as well as national competitive powerboating and angling events.
Once simply a mill pond built to power Carr’s Mill, this was hugely expanded in the 1750s to provide water to the Sankey Navigation, (Sankey Canal
), about a mile away. The lake is a firm favourite, busy with anglers and water sports enthusiasts. It’s also a great place for birdwatchers—herons, great crested grebes, coots, and various species of duck and gull can be found here.
The name Carr Mill traditionally came from the Norse word 'Carr' meaning marsh or fen. The dam is shown on the 17th century Yates map. A corn mill was operating there in the 19th century as it is visible on the first Ordnance survey map of the area, the dam having been doubled in size. There is no record of anyone named Carr having a mill there. The Land belonged to the Gerard family and a lease exists detailing the permissions and extent of use (St. Helens Archives). The dam was further enlarged by the London and North Western Railway
during development of the railway system and cast iron marker posts are still visible at two points around the dam.
Carr Mill Dam is also the location of St. Helens only ancient woodland running alongside the railway line.
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
town centre, on the A571 (Carr Mill Road), in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
. It is the county's largest body of inland water, and offers picturesque lakeside trails and walks, as well as national competitive powerboating and angling events.
Once simply a mill pond built to power Carr’s Mill, this was hugely expanded in the 1750s to provide water to the Sankey Navigation, (Sankey Canal
Sankey Canal
The Sankey Canal, which is also known as the Sankey Brook Navigation and the St Helens Canal, is a canal in Cheshire, extending into Merseyside, in the northwest of England, connecting St Helens with the River Mersey...
), about a mile away. The lake is a firm favourite, busy with anglers and water sports enthusiasts. It’s also a great place for birdwatchers—herons, great crested grebes, coots, and various species of duck and gull can be found here.
The name Carr Mill traditionally came from the Norse word 'Carr' meaning marsh or fen. The dam is shown on the 17th century Yates map. A corn mill was operating there in the 19th century as it is visible on the first Ordnance survey map of the area, the dam having been doubled in size. There is no record of anyone named Carr having a mill there. The Land belonged to the Gerard family and a lease exists detailing the permissions and extent of use (St. Helens Archives). The dam was further enlarged by the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
during development of the railway system and cast iron marker posts are still visible at two points around the dam.
Carr Mill Dam is also the location of St. Helens only ancient woodland running alongside the railway line.
Sources
- http://mysthelens.com/places/Carr%20Mill/carrmill.html