THE HERITAGE IMAGE REGISTER»HERITAGE PHOTO ARCHIVE MAIN COLLECTION»LAKE DISTRICT & CUMBRIA»Thirlmere

Manchester Corporation in order to meet the ever-growing demand for water in the expanding city and suburbs, with typical Victorian bravado and confidence dammed an existing glacial lake in the heart of the Lake District. The water level was raised and conveyed to Manchester in a 97 mile-long pipeline known as the Thirlmere Aqueduct.
The reason Thirlmere was chosen was because the northern end where the dam was constructed was a narrow gorge with high cliffs. The dam had a solid foundation, and was unconventionally narrow. This narrowness is shown on several of the photos. The dam was constructed between 1890-1894.