Grace's Guide
British Industrial History
Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 146,709 pages of information and 232,164 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.
Thirlmere Aqueduct
From Graces Guide
The Thirlmere Aqueduct is a 95.9-mile long pioneering section of water supply system built by the Manchester Corporation Water Works between 1890 and 1925.
In 1874 John Frederick Bateman advised Manchester Corporation that the increasing demand for water, then averaging 18,000,000 imperial gallons (82,000 m3) per day, would soon exhaust the available supply from Longdendale. His first recommendation was to source water from Ullswater, but it was eventually decided to seek powers to acquire Thirlmere and build a dam there. In the face of local opposition[1] the project received Royal Assent in 1879. Under this act Manchester was granted priority of right to 25 imperial gallons (110 L) per person per day.
Also see Thirlmere Waterworks
1911 A third pipeline was laid from Lake Thirlmere to Manchester, abont 105 miles of aqueduct, divided into four main contracts.
A pumping station was built at Heaton Park Reservoir in 1954–1955 incorporating a large relief by Mitzi Cunliffe signed and dated 1955. The building materials and the reliefs are all symbolic of the achievement in bringing water from the Lake District to Manchester. The building was given grade II listing in 1988