Hollingworth Lake
Encyclopedia
Hollingworth Lake is a 117 acres (47.3 ha) reservoir in the Hollingworth area of Littleborough — part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale
, in Greater Manchester
, England. Also known as the Weaver's Seaport, Hollingworth Lake was originally built as the main water source for the Rochdale Canal
, but forms part of the Hollingworth Lake Country Park
. The perimeter pathway is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km).
. Hollingworth Lake with its three earth dams was a main feeder source and was completed in 1800, four years before canal. The lake covers an area of 130 acres (52.6 ha) and the path around it originally measured two-and-a-half miles. In places the lake was 25 feet (7.6 m) deep, with the average depth being about 10 feet (3 m). When first made, it was capable of holding 400,000,000 gallons of water. Local mill owners feared that the canal would take water from the rivers and streams that powered them.
Around about 1850, James Sladen, an engineer at Newall's woollen mill in Littleborough, obtained permission from the then owners, Rochdale Canal Company, to put two small steamboats on it, but the venture was unsuccessful. Gradually, the lake became more popular; seven hotels with large ballrooms and pleasure grounds which rivalled Manchester's Belle Vue were built. At the height of its popularity there were three lake steamers. Known as the Weighver's Seaport, it became very popular in the mid-19th century, when connected by railway to Manchester
, Leeds
and Bradford
.
Several hotels were built, including, the Beach Hotel, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Hotel and the Lake Hotel on the far side which was accessed by steam launch. Currently there are two public house located next to the lake, the Beach Hotel and the Wine Press.
During the First World War there was a large training camp in Ealees Valley. After that war, the lake became less popular for holidays and the tourist facilities declined.
In 1950 Rochdale Council took over the boating rights from the Water Board which had acquired the lake from the canal company. In 1974 plans were approved to make the area a country park. It is now used for recreation and includes a wildlife sanctuary.
ing, swimming, rafting, rowing
and fishing. Since 1989, Hollingworth Lake Water Activity Centre has offered tuition in outdoor activities, including kayaking, canoeing, power boating and sailing. In summer, visitors can hire rowing boat
s. A passenger ferry service used to provide a round trip on the launch The Lady Alice – this service has not been available since 2009 and has been withdrawn by the local authority.
The annual Easter fun fair runs from the Thursday prior to Easter till the following Sunday, and is located on the car park at the front of the lake.
The scenic walk, 2.5 miles (4 km) around the lake, passes a nature reserve with a bird hide. The lake has extensive wildlife and is often used for 'adventure' activities for children, who catch various pond life. The path is a mixture of a gravel track from the Beach hotel to the rear of the lake, and then follows Rakewood Road and then Hollingworth Road. A children's playground, situated where the path joins Rakewood Road, was opened in 2010. The playground was the idea of the Friends of Hollingworth Lake, and was funded through money obtained from the National Lottery.
Other lake users have included:
To the east, a Visitor Centre shows children's artwork and objects found in the lake. The lake has been used for practice by some training to swim the English Channel
. A sign in the children's play area claims that Captain Matthew Webb
swam in the lake, practising every week.
and Littleborough
railway stations, which link west to Rochdale, Oldham and Manchester, and east to West Yorkshire
. Smithy Bridge station stands beside a barrier-operated level crossing and Smithy Bridge signal box
.
Hollingworth Lake is served by buses from Rochdale:
It is easily accessible by road from junction 21 of the M62 (via the A640 and B6225) and has three 'pay-and-display' car parks.
Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale
The Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after its largest town, Rochdale, but spans a far larger area which includes the towns of Middleton, Heywood, Littleborough and Milnrow, and the village of Wardle.The borough was...
, in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England. Also known as the Weaver's Seaport, Hollingworth Lake was originally built as the main water source for the Rochdale Canal
Rochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
, but forms part of the Hollingworth Lake Country Park
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
. The perimeter pathway is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km).
History
In 1793, an Act of Parliament sanctioned the construction of the Rochdale CanalRochdale Canal
The Rochdale Canal is a navigable "broad" canal in northern England, part of the connected system of the canals of Great Britain. The "Rochdale" in its name refers to the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, through which the canal passes....
. Hollingworth Lake with its three earth dams was a main feeder source and was completed in 1800, four years before canal. The lake covers an area of 130 acres (52.6 ha) and the path around it originally measured two-and-a-half miles. In places the lake was 25 feet (7.6 m) deep, with the average depth being about 10 feet (3 m). When first made, it was capable of holding 400,000,000 gallons of water. Local mill owners feared that the canal would take water from the rivers and streams that powered them.
Around about 1850, James Sladen, an engineer at Newall's woollen mill in Littleborough, obtained permission from the then owners, Rochdale Canal Company, to put two small steamboats on it, but the venture was unsuccessful. Gradually, the lake became more popular; seven hotels with large ballrooms and pleasure grounds which rivalled Manchester's Belle Vue were built. At the height of its popularity there were three lake steamers. Known as the Weighver's Seaport, it became very popular in the mid-19th century, when connected by railway to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
and Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
.
Several hotels were built, including, the Beach Hotel, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Hotel and the Lake Hotel on the far side which was accessed by steam launch. Currently there are two public house located next to the lake, the Beach Hotel and the Wine Press.
During the First World War there was a large training camp in Ealees Valley. After that war, the lake became less popular for holidays and the tourist facilities declined.
In 1950 Rochdale Council took over the boating rights from the Water Board which had acquired the lake from the canal company. In 1974 plans were approved to make the area a country park. It is now used for recreation and includes a wildlife sanctuary.
Activities
The lake supports watersports like sailing, windsurfing, canoeCanoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
ing, swimming, rafting, rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
and fishing. Since 1989, Hollingworth Lake Water Activity Centre has offered tuition in outdoor activities, including kayaking, canoeing, power boating and sailing. In summer, visitors can hire rowing boat
Watercraft rowing
Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.This article...
s. A passenger ferry service used to provide a round trip on the launch The Lady Alice – this service has not been available since 2009 and has been withdrawn by the local authority.
The annual Easter fun fair runs from the Thursday prior to Easter till the following Sunday, and is located on the car park at the front of the lake.
The scenic walk, 2.5 miles (4 km) around the lake, passes a nature reserve with a bird hide. The lake has extensive wildlife and is often used for 'adventure' activities for children, who catch various pond life. The path is a mixture of a gravel track from the Beach hotel to the rear of the lake, and then follows Rakewood Road and then Hollingworth Road. A children's playground, situated where the path joins Rakewood Road, was opened in 2010. The playground was the idea of the Friends of Hollingworth Lake, and was funded through money obtained from the National Lottery.
Other lake users have included:
- Hollingworth Lake Rowing Club, whose yearly regattaRegattaA regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
attracts many other clubs - Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club
- The Sea CadetsSea Cadet Corps (United Kingdom)The Sea Cadet Corps is a UK national youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Navy and open to young people between the ages of 10-18 years old. The SCC is the UK's largest Naval Cadet Force with over 30,000 cadets and adult volunteers...
"T.S Palatine" centre at the lake is located at the rear of the lake. Faced with a massive increase in the rent payable on renewal of the lease, funding for the centre was withdrawn by the Sea Cadet Association in April 2011, and the centre was closed on 30 April 2011.
To the east, a Visitor Centre shows children's artwork and objects found in the lake. The lake has been used for practice by some training to swim the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. A sign in the children's play area claims that Captain Matthew Webb
Matthew Webb
Captain Matthew Webb was the first recorded person to swim the English Channel without the use of artificial aids. On 25 August 1875 he swam from Dover to Calais in less than 22 hours.-Early life and career:...
swam in the lake, practising every week.
Transport
The lake and its surroundings are served by the Smithy BridgeSmithy Bridge railway station
Smithy Bridge railway station serves the village of Smithy Bridge and Hollingworth Lake near Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. The station is on the Caldervale Line 12¾ miles north of Manchester Victoria on the way to Leeds.-Services:...
and Littleborough
Littleborough railway station
Littleborough railway station serves the small town of Littleborough in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England.It lies on the Caldervale Line 22 km north of Manchester Victoria towards Halifax, Bradford Interchange and Leeds.This is the last station on the...
railway stations, which link west to Rochdale, Oldham and Manchester, and east to West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
. Smithy Bridge station stands beside a barrier-operated level crossing and Smithy Bridge signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
.
Hollingworth Lake is served by buses from Rochdale:
- 455 (Rochdale, Smallbridge, Hollingworth Lake and Littleborough),
- 456 (Rochdale, Wardle and Hollingworth Lake) and
- 452 (Rochdale, Milnrow, Hollingworth Lake and Littleborough).
It is easily accessible by road from junction 21 of the M62 (via the A640 and B6225) and has three 'pay-and-display' car parks.