Litton Reservoirs
Encyclopedia
Litton Reservoirs are two reservoir
s near the village of Litton
, Somerset
, England
. They are operated by Bristol Water
.
They lie on the boundary between Bath and North East Somerset
and Mendip
districts.
The individual lake
s are called Lower Litton and Upper Litton. The former is 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) in size, the latter 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) and much deeper. They were built around 1850 by the Bristol Waterworks Company in conjunction with the "Line of Works" to bring water from the Mendip Hills
to Bristol
.
A public footpath goes around the lakes and across the dam. The banks are home to a variety of flowers including; Primroses
(Primula vulgaris), Common Bluebell
(Hyacinthoides non-scripta, sometimes Endymion non-scriptus or Scilla non-scripta), Wood anemone
(Anemone nemorosa), Violets
and Campion.
Several species of birds are frequent visitors including; Moorhen
(Gallinula), Coot
(Fulica), Mallard
(Anas platyrhynchos), Swan
and Tufted duck
(Aythya fuligula).
Fishing (under permit) is generally for rainbow
(Oncorhynchus mykiss, formerly Salmo iridia) and Brown trout
(Salmo trutta morpha fario and S. trutta morpha lacustris). Fish breeding takes place in the netted area immediately below the upper dam is the site for fish breeding.
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...
s near the village of Litton
Litton, Somerset
Litton is a small village and civil parish between Chewton Mendip and West Harptree in the Mendip Hills, Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Sherborne. Very close to the village are the Litton Reservoirs.- History :...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, 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...
. They are operated by Bristol Water
Bristol Water
Bristol Water supplies 300 million litres of drinking water to over 1 million customers in a area centred on Bristol, England. It is regulated under the Water Industry Act 1991...
.
They lie on the boundary between Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset is a unitary authority that was created on 1 April 1996 following the abolition of the County of Avon. It is part of the Ceremonial county of Somerset...
and Mendip
Mendip
Mendip is a local government district of Somerset in England. The Mendip district covers a largely rural area of ranging from the Mendip Hills through on to the Somerset Levels. It has a population of approximately 110,000...
districts.
The individual lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s are called Lower Litton and Upper Litton. The former is 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) in size, the latter 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) and much deeper. They were built around 1850 by the Bristol Waterworks Company in conjunction with the "Line of Works" to bring water from the Mendip Hills
Mendip Hills
The Mendip Hills is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running east to west between Weston-super-Mare and Frome, the hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Avon Valley to the north...
to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
.
A public footpath goes around the lakes and across the dam. The banks are home to a variety of flowers including; Primroses
Primula vulgaris
Primula vulgaris is a species of Primula native to western and southern Europe , northwest Africa , and southwest Asia...
(Primula vulgaris), Common Bluebell
Common Bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scripta, commonly known as the common bluebell, is a spring-flowering bulbous perennial plant. -Taxonomy:...
(Hyacinthoides non-scripta, sometimes Endymion non-scriptus or Scilla non-scripta), Wood anemone
Anemone nemorosa
Anemone nemorosa is an early-spring flowering plant in the genus Anemone in the family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe. Common names include wood anemone, windflower, thimbleweed and smell fox, an allusion to the musky smell of the leaves...
(Anemone nemorosa), Violets
Violet (plant)
Viola is a genus of flowering plants in the violet family Violaceae, with around 400–500 species distributed around the world. Most species are found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere; however, viola species are also found in widely divergent areas such as Hawaii, Australasia, and the Andes in...
and Campion.
Several species of birds are frequent visitors including; Moorhen
Moorhen
Moorhens, sometimes called marsh hens, are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Gallinula....
(Gallinula), Coot
Coot
Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Fulica. Coots have predominantly black plumage, and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water...
(Fulica), 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....
(Anas platyrhynchos), Swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
and Tufted duck
Tufted Duck
The Tufted Duck, Aythya fuligula, is a medium-sized diving duck with a population of close to one million birds.- Description :The adult male is all black except for white flanks and a blue-grey bill. It has an obvious head tuft that gives the species its name.The adult female is brown with paler...
(Aythya fuligula).
Fishing (under permit) is generally for rainbow
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
(Oncorhynchus mykiss, formerly Salmo iridia) and Brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
(Salmo trutta morpha fario and S. trutta morpha lacustris). Fish breeding takes place in the netted area immediately below the upper dam is the site for fish breeding.