Hallington Reservoirs
Encyclopedia
Hallington Reservoirs are located near the small village of Colwell
, Northumberland
, England
on the B6342 road
off the A68 road
, and 7 miles (11 km) north of Corbridge
. Hallington is actually two small reservoirs: Hallington Reservoir West and Hallington Reservoir East, which are separated by a dam.
s and aqueduct
s from Catcleugh Reservoir
to Whittle Dene
; from where drinking water
is supplied to Newcastle upon Tyne
, Gateshead
, and some surrounding areas. The reservoirs that form the chain are, from northwest to southeast: Catcleugh Reservoir
→ Colt Crag Reservoir
→ Little Swinburne Reservoir
→ Hallington Reservoirs → Whittle Dene
.
and larch
with beech
, willow
, and sycamore
whilst marginal plants include the very rare and scarce small-fruited yellow sedge which occurs near the dam between both two reservoirs.
The reservoirs form an important wintering area for wildfowl
, including wigeon
, teal
, and mallard
whilst autumn waders include dunlin
, black-headed
, and common gulls
.
There are sightings of red squirrel
here as well as otter
s, badger
s, and bats and recent surveys have also identified a healthy population of native white-clawed crayfish
Austropotamobius pallipes within the aqueduct that flows into the reservoirs.
Colwell, Northumberland
Colwell is a village in Northumberland, England. It is about to the north of Hexham.- Governance :Colwell is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham....
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, 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...
on the B6342 road
B roads in Zone 6 of the Great Britain numbering scheme
B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads. See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme for the rationale behind the numbers allocated.-Zone 6 :-Zone 6 :...
off the A68 road
A68 road
The A68 is a major road in the United Kingdom, running from Darlington in England to the A720 in Scotland.From Darlington, the road runs north, bypassing Bishop Auckland, and running through West Auckland, Toft Hill and Tow Law, past Consett and Corbridge...
, and 7 miles (11 km) north of Corbridge
Corbridge
Corbridge is a village in Northumberland, England, situated west of Newcastle and east of Hexham. Villages in the vicinity include Halton, Acomb, Aydon and Sandhoe.-Roman fort and town:...
. Hallington is actually two small reservoirs: Hallington Reservoir West and Hallington Reservoir East, which are separated by a dam.
History
The reservoir was built at the end of the 19th century for the Newcastle and Gateshead Water Company. The reservoir forms part of a series of reservoirs along the A68 which are connected by tunnelTunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
s and aqueduct
Aqueduct
An aqueduct is a water supply or navigable channel constructed to convey water. In modern engineering, the term is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose....
s from Catcleugh Reservoir
Catcleugh Reservoir
Catcleugh Reservoir is a reservoir in Northumberland, England adjacent to the A68 road; just north of Byrness; and to the south of the border with Scotland.-History:...
to Whittle Dene
Whittle Dene
Whittle Dene is located to the west of Newcastle upon Tyne, England straddling the B6318 Military Road, and is a complex of reservoirs and treatment works forming the last stage in the supply of drinking water to Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead....
; from where drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
is supplied to Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, Gateshead
Gateshead
Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England and is the main settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. Historically a part of County Durham, it lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne opposite Newcastle upon Tyne and together they form the urban core of Tyneside...
, and some surrounding areas. The reservoirs that form the chain are, from northwest to southeast: Catcleugh Reservoir
Catcleugh Reservoir
Catcleugh Reservoir is a reservoir in Northumberland, England adjacent to the A68 road; just north of Byrness; and to the south of the border with Scotland.-History:...
→ Colt Crag Reservoir
Colt Crag Reservoir
Colt Crag Reservoir is a relatively shallow reservoir in Northumberland, England adjacent to the A68 road, and north of Corbridge. The A68 road at this point runs along the course of Dere Street, a Roman road.-History:...
→ Little Swinburne Reservoir
Little Swinburne Reservoir
Little Swinburne Reservoir is a small reservoir in Northumberland, England about to east of the A68 road, and about north of Corbridge. The A68 road at this point runs along the course of Dere Street, a Roman road.-History:...
→ Hallington Reservoirs → Whittle Dene
Whittle Dene
Whittle Dene is located to the west of Newcastle upon Tyne, England straddling the B6318 Military Road, and is a complex of reservoirs and treatment works forming the last stage in the supply of drinking water to Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead....
.
Flora and fauna
The woodland on the northwestern corner of Hallington Reservoir East is mostly scots pineScots Pine
Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...
and larch
Larch
Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 15 to 50m tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south...
with beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
, and sycamore
Sycamore
Sycamore is a name which is applied at various times and places to three very different types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms....
whilst marginal plants include the very rare and scarce small-fruited yellow sedge which occurs near the dam between both two reservoirs.
The reservoirs form an important wintering area for wildfowl
Anatidae
Anatidae is the biological family of birds that includes ducks, geese and swans. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on all the world's continents except Antarctica and on most of the world's islands and island groups...
, including wigeon
Wigeon
The Eurasian Wigeon, also known as Widgeon or Eurasian Widgeon is one of three species of wigeon in the dabbling duck genus Anas. It is common and widespread within its range...
, teal
Teal
Teal may mean:* Teal , a medium greenish-blue color* Various ducks:** Baikal Teal, Anas formosa** Black Teal, Aythya novaeseelandiae** Blue-winged Teal, Anas discors** Brown Teal, Anas aucklandica** Campbell Teal Anas nesiotis...
, and mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
whilst autumn waders include dunlin
Dunlin
The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints" in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East...
, black-headed
Black-headed Gull
The Black-headed Gull is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory, wintering further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe are resident...
, and common gulls
Common Gull
The Common Gull or Mew Gull Larus canus is a medium-sized gull which breeds in northern Asia, northern Europe and northwestern North America. It migrates further south in winter...
.
There are sightings of red squirrel
Red Squirrel
The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...
here as well as otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
s, badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
s, and bats and recent surveys have also identified a healthy population of native white-clawed crayfish
Austropotamobius pallipes
Austropotamobius pallipes is an endangered European freshwater crayfish, and the only species of crayfish native to the British Isles. Its common names include white-clawed crayfish and Atlantic stream crayfish.-Distribution and ecology:...
Austropotamobius pallipes within the aqueduct that flows into the reservoirs.