Dowdeswell Reservoir facts for kids
Dowdeswell Reservoir is a large body of water located near the village of Dowdeswell in Gloucestershire, England. It was first built to provide clean drinking water for the town of Cheltenham. Today, it is an important place for controlling floods and a home for many types of wildlife.
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History of Dowdeswell Reservoir
Dowdeswell Reservoir was built by Cheltenham Corporation starting in 1886. Its main job was to supply fresh drinking water to the people of Cheltenham. Later, it became part of the Severn Trent water system.
Today, the Environment Agency owns and manages the reservoir. It now acts as a 'balancing pond'. This means it helps manage water flow from the eastern part of the valley.
Severn Trent stopped using the reservoir for drinking water after a new treatment plant opened on the River Severn. The reservoir then became a special flood storage area for the River Chelt. This was done to help protect Cheltenham from floods. Even with this, the town still experienced flooding in the July 2007 floods.
The famous Cotswold Way National Trail, a long walking path, runs right next to the reservoir's dam. It also goes along the western edge of Dowdeswell Woods. Both the reservoir and the woods are listed as important wildlife sites in the local area plan. They are also close to the Arle Grove nature reserve.
Dowdeswell's Amazing Nature Reserves
Dowdeswell Reservoir and Dowdeswell Wood are both special nature reserves. They have plans to help protect the plants and animals that live there.
The Reservoir and Its Wildlife
The reservoir itself, along with nearby areas called Residuum and Scobb's Grove, became a nature reserve in 1973. This reserve covers about 9.3-hectare (23-acre) (about 23 acres). It was set up with the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.
The water in the reservoir is home to many birds. You can often see Moorhens, Coots, Mallards, Little Grebes, and Great Crested Grebes. These birds also build their nests in the areas around the water.
The grasslands around the reservoir are full of beautiful flowers. These include Common Spotted Orchids, Pyramidal Orchids, and Cowslips.
The reservoir is also a very important place for Common Toads. Every year, many toads migrate here to lay their eggs. Special signs are put up on the nearby A40 road to warn drivers during this time. There used to be tunnels under the road to help the toads cross safely, but these were removed during road work.
A special type of animal, the native white-clawed crayfish, lives in the reservoir. This crayfish is a protected species. When engineering work was done in 1998, special care was taken to protect these important creatures.
Dowdeswell Wood: A Forest Home
Dowdeswell Wood is a much larger nature reserve, covering about 82-hectare (200-acre) (about 200 acres). It is located on the northern slopes of the Chelt valley. This wood became part of the nature reserve in 1992.
Over the years, a lot of work has been done to manage the wood. Easy-to-follow paths have been created, which can be reached from the Cotswold Way national trail.
The wood's character changed a lot in the 1950s when many old trees like Oaks, Ashes, Beeches, and Elms were cut down and replaced with conifer trees. However, more recently, efforts have been made to plant broad-leaf trees again.
You can find many different plants on the ground in the broad-leaved areas. These include Bluebells, Yellow Archangel, Wood Anemones, Moschatel, Early-purple Orchid, and Ramsons (also known as wood garlic).
Interesting animals live in Dowdeswell Wood too. There are Roman Snails in an area where a Roman settlement once stood. The Common Dormouse, a small, sleepy rodent, also lives here. You might also spot Roe and Muntjac deer roaming through the trees.
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