Blithfield Reservoir

Blithfield Reservoir is a large raw water reservoir in Staffordshire, England, owned by South Staffordshire Water.

Blithfield Reservoir
Blithfield Reservoir
LocationBlithbury, Staffordshire, England
Coordinates52.809°N 1.919°W / 52.809; -1.919
TypeDrinking water reservoir
Primary inflowsRiver Blithe, Tad Brook
Primary outflowsRiver Blithe
Managing agencySouth Staffordshire Water
Built1953
Max. length1.88 miles (3.03 km)
Max. width0.6 miles (0.97 km)
Surface area3.19 square kilometres (790 acres)
Max. depth16 metres (52 ft)
Water volume18,172,000m3 (4 billion gallons)
Shore length15.9 miles (9.5 km)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Some 800 acres (324 hectares) of reservoir was formed on land sold by Baron Bagot to the South Staffordshire Water Works (SSWW) in the 1940s. Blithfield Reservoir was opened by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother on Tuesday 27 October 1953.[1][2]

Opening Plaque, Blithfield Reservoir

The Reservoir is located just north-east of the town of Rugeley and just south of Abbots Bromley

The reservoir is a haven for wildlife, particularly birds, a fact that was recognised in 1988 when the reservoir and most of its surrounding woodland was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, (SSSI).[3] Parts of the shoreline and surrounding woodland are only available to birdwatchers under a permit scheme, operated by the West Midland Bird Club,[4] but much of the open water is visible from the road causeway which crosses the reservoir (grid reference SK055235), and there is access to the dam end of the reservoir. There is also an education centre to facilitate visits by school parties.[5]

Blithfield was once a 'members only' fly fishing destination, however, in recent years it has been opened up to day ticket holders. Day tickets are available from the Estate Office.[6]

Blithfield reservoir walks give members of the public the chance to enjoy the area and its wildlife. There is a church under the water and can be seen during the summertime when the water is low enough.[7] The reservoir has been visited by many scarce and rare migrant birds, including an inland Arctic warbler (1993), Bonaparte's gull (1994 and 1996), blue-winged teal (1996 and 2000) and squacco heron (2004).[8]

Panorama of Blithfield Reservoir

References
  1. East Staffs Borough Council: Blithfield Archived November 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Blithfield Reservoir History Archived 2013-07-12 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Blithfield Reservoir Archived June 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Blithfield Reservoir". West Midland Bird Club. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
  5. Blithfield Education Centre Archived April 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Blithfield Anglers Archived April 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  7. Blithfield Trails Archived April 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  8. Harrison, Graham (2005). The New Birds of the West Midlands. West Midland Bird Club. ISBN 0950788120.
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