Kempton Park Reservoirs facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
View through the fence of Kempton Park East Reservoir
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| Area of Search | Greater London Surrey |
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| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 25.6 hectares |
| Notification | 1999 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
The Kempton Park Reservoirs are important natural areas. They are located in the London Borough of Hounslow and Kempton Park in Surrey. These reservoirs are owned by Thames Water.
They are part of a larger area called the South West London Waterbodies. This area is recognized internationally as a Ramsar site and a Special Protection Area. One part, Kempton Park East Reservoir, is also a local nature reserve. This means it is a special place for wildlife.
Contents
History of the Reservoirs
The facilities at Kempton Park were first built in 1897. They were created by the New River Company. This company later joined the Metropolitan Water Board in 1903. The two main reservoirs, Kempton Park East and Kempton Park West, were finished in 1907.
A third, smaller reservoir, called Red House Reservoir, was also built. Water for this reservoir came from the Staines Reservoirs Aqueduct. This aqueduct carried water to the Hampton Water Treatment Works.
The Pumping Station
A large pumping station opened at Kempton Park in 1929. It had two huge steam engines. These engines were designed by Worthington-Simpson. They were thought to be the second largest of their kind in the world. The engines worked until 1980. Today, these amazing engines and their building are a museum. It is called the Kempton Park Steam Engines museum.
Changes Over Time
Kempton Park West Reservoir was later closed and completely emptied. Kempton Park East Reservoir also closed in 1980. It was drained in 1982. In 1996, some of its walls were removed. This was done to follow rules for old reservoirs.
However, this reservoir still holds some water from rain. Since 1996, it has been managed as a nature reserve. It is kept locked, and the public cannot enter. Only people with a special membership to the nature reserve can visit.
Wildlife at Kempton Park
Many projects have been done to help wetland birds at the reservoirs. These projects include building safe islands for birds. They also created deep water channels and areas with tall reeds. These changes help protect and improve the birds' homes.
Bird Species
Many wading birds regularly breed here. These include the northern lapwing and the common redshank. You can also find the ringed plover and little ringed plover. The pied avocet successfully bred here. This was the first time this bird bred inland in the British Isles. Other interesting birds seen here include the smew and the garganey. Rare birds like Temminck's stint and red-necked phalarope have also been recorded.
Other Animals
Red House Reservoir is still used to store water. It is a quiet place surrounded by woodland. This area is popular with many animals. You might find bats, water voles, and grass snakes here. Newts, frogs, and toads also live in this habitat.
Several types of bats make their home here. These include the common noctule (Nyctalus noctula). You might also see the serotine (Eptesinus serotinus). Other bats found are the Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentoni) and the pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus).
