# Dried up reservoir, Arbroath, April '08



## spacepunk (Apr 21, 2008)

Came upon this dried out old reservoir at Muirhead, just outside Arbroath. It was great to see the 'exposed' pipes and stuff normally covered by the water.
Also I managed to get into the pumphouse and get close to all the machinery.
























































Love'n'peace.
SP


----------



## ashless (Apr 21, 2008)

Wow! That would make an amazing swimming pool! Just a few heaters required for the winter!

Great find, great pics!


----------



## shatters (Apr 21, 2008)

Thats great, any idea how old it is?

Phil


----------



## spacepunk (Apr 21, 2008)

Do excuse my lack of local knowledge, but I ain't got a clue. I did search the net, but not much info available. Where are the locals when you need them?


----------



## JulesP (Apr 21, 2008)

I saw a drained reservoir about 10 years ago and was amazed at how shallow they are. Allways expected them to be real deep for some reason. Maybe cos I don't like deep water.


----------



## spacepunk (Apr 21, 2008)

They should convert this into a skate/bmx/gokart park or something. Some of the grassy stuff was still damp and I almost went on my arse at one point.


----------



## Sabtr (Apr 22, 2008)

Very interesting report there. I'm still laughing at the footprints in the last pic - I can see you slipping over and over in my mind.


----------



## smileysal (Apr 22, 2008)

Cool, you don't see a dried up reservoir very often, really like seeing all the pipes, turbines and filters in there. Excellent find. 

I'd love to see the lower reservoir of the Lady Bower Dam ones, where they flooded an entire village. You used to be able to see the former church spire, but they demolished it a few years ago, as it was deemed dangerous. The remains of the village are still there under the reservoir. 

Cheers,

 Sal


----------



## Timtom (Apr 22, 2008)

Smileysal.. Is it this one you're talking about?






In Rutland? I think?
Or another one?

bigger picture!


----------



## Pete (Apr 22, 2008)

smileysal said:


> Cool, you don't see a dried up reservoir very often, really like seeing all the pipes, turbines and filters in there. Excellent find.
> 
> I'd love to see the lower reservoir of the Lady Bower Dam ones, where they flooded an entire village. You used to be able to see the former church spire, but they demolished it a few years ago, as it was deemed dangerous. The remains of the village are still there under the reservoir.
> 
> ...




Ladybower resevoir is in derbyshire and was created around WWII by flooding the villages of Ashopton and Derwent (it was Derwent's church whose tower remained). Ladybower is the third in a line of resevoirs in the Derwent Valley, the other two older ones being Howden and Derwent. The area was also home to a third lost village, Birchinlee, which was built for the resevoir construction workers and dismantled once work completed.


Timtom said:


> Smileysal.. Is it this one you're talking about?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The photo above is of Normanton Church. It's floor was raised when the Empingham Resevoir was created by flooding the neighbouring land in the mid 70's. The resevoir is now better known as Rutland Water and its construction resulted in the loss of the village of Lower Hambledon and most of Middle Hambledon and their surrounding network of lanes. Upper Hambledon survived by being on higher ground (and is now known simply as Hambledon, having incorporated the remainder of Middle Hambledon). It is now accessible by one road onto what has become the Hambledon peninsula. 

Pete


----------



## BrickMan (Apr 22, 2008)

no glorey holes then?

them things freaking terrify me


----------



## spacepunk (Apr 22, 2008)

Sausage Hi, yeah the slip was one of those comedy ones with arms flailing all over the place. Lucky for me that I kept my balance, would've been a sore one.

Thanks for all the comments.


----------



## MonkeyGirl (Apr 22, 2008)

That's something you don't see everyday! I always thought they were alot deeper than that


----------



## BigLoada (Apr 22, 2008)

BrickMan said:


> no glorey holes then?
> 
> them things freaking terrify me



Whats a glory hole? 

This is a great site. I love anything to do with water works. Pipes, flanges, valves etc its all brilliant.


----------



## BarneySchwarzenegger (Apr 22, 2008)

Really like the white brick work arching round the wheel. Also the way everything is bolted together looks cool.


----------



## spacepunk (Apr 23, 2008)

A glory hole. Mmmm let me think.


----------



## Pip (Apr 24, 2008)

spacepunk said:


> A glory hole. Mmmm let me think.




Limewire, explains all!!!


----------



## BigLoada (Apr 24, 2008)

spacepunk said:


> A glory hole. Mmmm let me think.



Oh damn I just did a search on Google. Its just not right man! Wish I hadnt asked now


----------



## spacepunk (Apr 25, 2008)

How the innocents are shocked.
There were a few 'hidey' holes, if that's what Brickman meant?


----------



## Bunk3r (Apr 25, 2008)

spacepunk said:


> How the innocents are shocked.
> There were a few 'hidey' holes, if that's what Brickman meant?



other than the 'other' use of the word 'glory hole' the term is also used to describe the big plugholes in reservoirs, I believe that is what Brickman was referring to.


----------



## jock1966 (Jul 11, 2008)

nice one love the pics think i will check out this one sometime soon.


----------



## fezzyben (Jul 11, 2008)

heres the one at ladybower

http://www.go4awalk.com/walkphotographs/leeharpin1.jpg


----------



## the-sinner (Jul 12, 2008)

During the long hot summer of 1976 (showing my age now!) the Ladybower reservoir almost dried up, me and a mate from school went up there and walked down to the remains of the village. I remember the mud being thick with a hard crust that got softer as we got nearer to the village, as i recall there wasn't a lot left of the buildings, i think we expected it to be just as it was when it was flooded! the bridge that would have gone over the small river was still up and some walls were still standing, the church spire had been blown up years before to stop people swimming out to it.
As i recall it was a surreal experience and we spent a good hour exploring what was there and getting covered in mud, much to the disgust of my mates mum who had driven us up in her shiny new car!
Roj.


----------



## Mancha (Jul 12, 2008)

BrickMan said:


> no glorey holes then?
> 
> them things freaking terrify me



I never knew that these things were called "Glory Holes". I found this one at Coombe Pool Nr Coventry and this one was a little bit frightening being only about 6 feet from the side, you would think that it would have a grill over the top!!! It looks quite calm in the picture but there was actually quite a ferocious torrent of water going down it after about 3 days of heavy rain.


----------



## bungle666 (Jul 12, 2008)

lol, glory holes!! i explored on once!!

dovstones res, near oldham!!






and the underside






looking up through "the hole"






and the tunnel coming off it






and the tunnel running to it






hope this clears some myths up about glory holes 

B..


----------



## Foxylady (Jul 13, 2008)

There's one in a mill stream in Ottery St Mary in Devon and it's called the 'tumbling weir'.  Love the inside explore Bungle. Spacepunk, the dried up reservoir is striking. Is that the same location as the one in anigel's thread about the unknown possible underground site in Arbroath?


----------



## spacepunk (Jul 13, 2008)

Jeezo that hole! Great pic there Mancha.
Nightmare stuff.


----------



## BigLoada (Jul 13, 2008)

Mancha thats a pretty cool image. There is a huge one near me and I was thinking of abseiling it when the weather is good. Anyone done this before?


----------



## DJ Support (Jul 20, 2008)

Question is what would you do if you got to the middle of that reservoir in arbroath then all of a sudden you hear gushing water behind you! Could you imagine that?


----------



## Foxylady (Jul 20, 2008)

DJ Support said:


> Question is what would you do if you got to the middle of that reservoir in arbroath then all of a sudden you hear gushing water behind you! Could you imagine that?



Only too well!!! The stuff my nightmares are made of!


----------



## MD (Jul 20, 2008)

great pictures everyone 
nice to see one empty for a change
AND i also thought they would be deeper


----------



## spacepunk (Jul 20, 2008)

Foxylady said:


> There's one in a mill stream in Ottery St Mary in Devon and it's called the 'tumbling weir'.  Love the inside explore Bungle. Spacepunk, the dried up reservoir is striking. Is that the same location as the one in anigel's thread about the unknown possible underground site in Arbroath?



No, this ones just beside RAF Condor at Muirhead, before Arbroath.


----------

