Farmoor Reservoir
Encyclopedia
Farmoor Reservoir is a reservoir
at Farmoor
, Oxfordshire
, England
, about 8 km west of the city of Oxford
. It is close to the left bank of the River Thames
. Like most of the reservoirs in the Thames Valley
, it was not formed by damming a valley. In this case the banks were raised above the local ground level using material excavated from within the bowl of the reservoir.
The reservoir is split into Stage 1 (completed 1967, 4,544 million litres) and Stage 2 (completed 1976, 9,298 million litres). Among other locations, Farmoor supplies the large town of Swindon
. The reservoir is filled from the River Thames.
The reservoir is used for sports: fishing
(especially fly-fishing for rainbow and brown trout), dinghy sailing
and windsurfing
. Oxford Sailing Club and the Oxford and District School Sailing Association are based there). It is also location for bird watching and walking
.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
at Farmoor
Farmoor
Farmoor is a village west of the centre of Oxford, England. The village was part of Berkshire until the 1974 local government boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire....
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, about 8 km west of the city of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. It is close to the left bank of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. Like most of the reservoirs in the Thames Valley
Thames Valley
The Thames Valley Region is a loose term for the English counties and towns roughly following the course of the River Thames as it flows from Oxfordshire in the west to London in the east. It includes parts of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, North Hampshire, Surrey and west London...
, it was not formed by damming a valley. In this case the banks were raised above the local ground level using material excavated from within the bowl of the reservoir.
The reservoir is split into Stage 1 (completed 1967, 4,544 million litres) and Stage 2 (completed 1976, 9,298 million litres). Among other locations, Farmoor supplies the large town of Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
. The reservoir is filled from the River Thames.
The reservoir is used for sports: fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
(especially fly-fishing for rainbow and brown trout), dinghy sailing
Dinghy sailing
Dinghy sailing is the activity of sailing small boats by using five essential controls:* the sails* the foils ....
and windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
. Oxford Sailing Club and the Oxford and District School Sailing Association are based there). It is also location for bird watching and walking
Walking
Walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step...
.