How a reservoir came to be built
THE CONSTRUCTION of Kinder Reservoir and the massive upheaval it brought during the nine years it took to complete is the subject of a new book.
The Kinder Reservoir and Railway has been written by Derek Brumhead, Ken Rangley and Jean Rangley and charts the huge changes the development had on village life in Hayfield.
It explained the history of the Stockport Corporation financed project needed to supply water to Stockport which even saw a railway built to the site.
The subsequent history of the construction and its associated standard gauge railway, which required two acts of parliament is a saga of extraordinary complexity.
The project faced severe geological difficulties, changes in design from masonry to clay/earth dam, the death of the consulting engineer, and the resignation of his son who succeeded him, litigation between the constructor and Stockport Corporation, the unilateral termination of the contract by the corporation and a decision to built the reservoir themselves.
In total a workforce of over 700 was needed, many of whom required accommodation locally or bought their own huts with them, with a special train to carry them to the dam site from Hayfield.
Taking over nine years to complete the project was eventually a triumph for the corporation its consulting engineers and its highly competent and dedicated managerial and labour workforce.
It was in 1899 that Stockport Corporation acquired ownership of the Stockport and District Waterworks company and became responsible for the town's water supply.
The new water works committee immediately set about investigating how additional supplies of water might be provided and after taking advice decided that a new reservoir should be built in the Pennine hills to supply Stockport.
Their reservoir was to be sited two miles upstream of the village of Hayfield at the head of the Kinder Valley.
The authors have brought together a unique collections of nearly 120 photographs of the period in the detailed book which is on sale priced at 14.99 at New mills Heritage Centre and other bookshops.
* It can be purchased by post from The Administrator, New Mills Heritage Centre, Rock Mill Lane, New Mills, High Peak SK22 3BN for 16 which includes postage and packing.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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