Post by Dave on Aug 19, 2009 18:21:05 GMT
Meldon Reservoir was opened in 1972.The dam, spanning the valley of the West Okement River is 55 metres high and can impound some 300 million litres of water .Eight reservoirs were built on Dartmoor between 1861 and 1972 to satisfy increasing demand for water in towns surrounding the moor and further afield. Dartmoor, a low populated area of poor farmland with high rainfall (average 60 Inches or 1,500 mm per annum) and fringed with deep steep-sided valleys was deemed an attractive and relatively cheap location for building reservoirs.
When Dartmoor became a National Park in 1951, its new status seemed to many to provide the protection needed to defend this landscape against further intrusions. So, perhaps it was inevitable that when the North Devon Water Board announced in 1962 that it wished to dam the West Okement River at Meldon, there was an outcry. There followed a long and bitter controversy including a public enquiry in 1965. Opposition to the reservoir included the National Parks Commission and the Dartmoor Preservation Association.
Site
It was widely considered that a dam sited here would seriously damage the visual and recreational amenities of the area and would be an unnecessary intrusion into the National Park. After seven years of bitter strife, Parliament finally decided that the ‘national interests’ should override all objections, even though this was a site located within the National Park.Alternative lowland sites were rejected because, at least in part, this would drown what was seen at the time as more valued farmland. Times have changed and it is virtually certain that a dam and reservoir would not be built on this site today. Since its completion in 1972, at a then cost of £1.7 million, the reservoir has become an attraction in its own right, and associated facilities, including a car park, provide convenient access to the highest parts of Dartmoor.
If you do fancy a day out here, then why not go and see and walk the Meldon Viaduct
Meldon Viaduct, is a superb example of Victorian Engineering and is one of only two in the country of this type of construction. Built in 1874 for the London and South Western Railway main line between Waterloo and Plymouth, it was widened to double track in 1878 and closed to trains in the late 1960s.
The widening was achieved by constructing a second viaduct along side the first, using an almost exact copy of the original design. Over the years the two structures have been tied together in an effort to reduce sway when trains crossed the viaduct. The structure underwent a major refurbishment in 1996. Although the trains have long gone it is still a significant landscape feature that it is now available to walkers and cyclists.
The valley before it was a reservoir
Shots of the dam and reservoir
A great shot showing the dam blocking the valley.
Looking very low
Looking down form the top of dam
The Viaduct
When Dartmoor became a National Park in 1951, its new status seemed to many to provide the protection needed to defend this landscape against further intrusions. So, perhaps it was inevitable that when the North Devon Water Board announced in 1962 that it wished to dam the West Okement River at Meldon, there was an outcry. There followed a long and bitter controversy including a public enquiry in 1965. Opposition to the reservoir included the National Parks Commission and the Dartmoor Preservation Association.
Site
It was widely considered that a dam sited here would seriously damage the visual and recreational amenities of the area and would be an unnecessary intrusion into the National Park. After seven years of bitter strife, Parliament finally decided that the ‘national interests’ should override all objections, even though this was a site located within the National Park.Alternative lowland sites were rejected because, at least in part, this would drown what was seen at the time as more valued farmland. Times have changed and it is virtually certain that a dam and reservoir would not be built on this site today. Since its completion in 1972, at a then cost of £1.7 million, the reservoir has become an attraction in its own right, and associated facilities, including a car park, provide convenient access to the highest parts of Dartmoor.
If you do fancy a day out here, then why not go and see and walk the Meldon Viaduct
Meldon Viaduct, is a superb example of Victorian Engineering and is one of only two in the country of this type of construction. Built in 1874 for the London and South Western Railway main line between Waterloo and Plymouth, it was widened to double track in 1878 and closed to trains in the late 1960s.
The widening was achieved by constructing a second viaduct along side the first, using an almost exact copy of the original design. Over the years the two structures have been tied together in an effort to reduce sway when trains crossed the viaduct. The structure underwent a major refurbishment in 1996. Although the trains have long gone it is still a significant landscape feature that it is now available to walkers and cyclists.
The valley before it was a reservoir
Shots of the dam and reservoir
A great shot showing the dam blocking the valley.
Looking very low
Looking down form the top of dam
The Viaduct