Industrial History Online

Industrial History Online

Bramley Reservoir

Description and History of Site:-
Large covered service reservoir. The first reservoir was constructed by Mr. Silas Abbey of Leeds in 1860 on Beecroft Hill, the highest point in the immediate locality. Its purpose was to extend the Leeds Waterworks service to the higher townships to the west of the city. The areas to be served included Chapeltown and Potternewton, Bramley and Wortley, Headingley Hill, and parts of Woodhouse. On April 28th 1860 the Leeds Mercury described the works: "The reservoir is excavated out of the solid rock, and is made water-tight by a lining of stiff puddle clay, half a yard thick, protected by asphalted paving. It is twelve feet deep and will contain two and a quarter million gallons; the surface of the water is when the basin is full is nearly 500 feet above the level of the sea." The reservoir was supplied from the pumping station in Headingley (WYK01040), also newly built at the time, through a ten inch pipe more than three miles long. The whole cost of the works in 1860 was nearly £15,000. The reservoir was extended quite substantially in 1912, and completely reconstructed in 2013 at a cost of £3.8 million.


Further Reading and References:-
http://www.waterprojectsonline.com/case_studies/2014/Yorkshire_Bramley_2014.pdf


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Key Words :- water supply service reservoir

Viewing the Site :- A PROW runs along the northern edge

Address :- Broad Lane, Bramley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS13 3ER
Grid Ref :- SE 2370 3503
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.811023 , Long -1.641561
Local Authority :- Leeds Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Operational site, in use for original purpose
Site Dates :- 1860 -
Record Date :- 14 March 2018

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Nick Nelson