Stocks Reservoir

The Stocks Reservoir is a reservoir in Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, England. The lake is mainly formed by the River Hodder and was formerly in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

The construction of the dam was planned in 1910 when it became clear that the Fylde Water Board the growing demand for water in places like Blackpool, Fleetwood and Lytham St. Annes would not be able to meet, if not new reservoir would be built. 1912 was passed by the British Parliament of the Fylde Water Board Act 1912, which allowed the construction of three reservoirs. However, the preparations for the construction retreated, partly due to the outbreak of the First World War, as in the length of that in 1919 the Fylde Water Board Act 1919 had to be passed by Parliament in order to secure the prolonged construction law.

For the construction of the dam, a branch of the railway Leeds - Morecambe from Long Preston was built by Tosside in standard gauge, there then took small railways to transport the material to the construction site. Another small railway connection linking two quarries with the site.

The construction workers lived in the specially erected for this purpose Hollins Village, which had next to residential buildings, and various workshops, a cafeteria, a restaurant and a private hospital.

The construction of the reservoir floor was not only the Dale Head valley but also the site Stocks in Bowland, which gives the dam its name, is flooded. While the houses were all demolished, the church of the village St James ' was removed from the Fylde Water Board and constructed in a safe place before the flood along with the cemetery whose graves were reburied again. The original churchyard was not flooded at the end and now serves as a parking lot. At extremely low water the remains of the village can be seen today.

Work on the actual building began 1923. 1925 was decided in the Fylde Water Board Act 1925 that the future Stocks reservoir should be built larger than originally intended, which is why the 1912 resolved construction of Hesbert and Greet reservoirs could be abandoned. The Stocks Reservoir was officially opened on 5 July 1932 by Prince George.

The Stocks Reservoir is now operated by United Utilities.