The Thirlmere water scheme of the Manchester Corporation : with a few remarks on the Longdendale Works, and water-supply generally / [James Mansergh].

  • Mansergh, James
Date:
1878
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Thirlmere water scheme of the Manchester Corporation : with a few remarks on the Longdendale Works, and water-supply generally / [James Mansergh]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    be delivered to Manchester from Thirlmere, the 24J millions obtain- able from Longdendale will be required in a dry year. As being responsible for the provision of water to a present population of 800,000 people,—rapidly increasing,—the Corporation are evidently, therefore, not far in advance of their duty in seeking to obtain the sanction of Parliament at once to this undertaking. It appears to be a wise and prudent thing for them, after their past experience, to decide upon a scheme which, whilst it will not entail the immense anxiety, risk, and expenditure of time involved in the making of such a series of reservoirs as those in Longdendale, will set at rest the question of water-supply to Manchester for a great many years to come. It is also a considerate thing with regard to smaller towns in Lancashire for Manchester to pass by intermediate watersheds avail- able for such towns, and better adapted to their more limited wants and resources, and to incur the outlay on a hundred miles of aqueduct in order to supply itself, and to leave the nearer water for its less wealthy neighbours. On these and other grounds Thirlmere has been selected as the source which shall supplement Longdendale in the supply of water to Manchester and its suburbs in future years. THE THIRLMERE SCHEME. Thirlmere is one of the least important of the Cumberland lakes. It lies at the foot of the Helvellyn range, immediately to the west or left hand of the main road leading from Grasmere to Keswick, and for two-thirds of its length at its south end it is visible from that road. It is almost severed in two in the middle by promontories, which approach each other from the east and west, and leave a narrow stream, over which a footpath is carried by three rude bridges. The south end of Thirlmere is about two miles to the north of the summit of Dunmail Raise, the low pass or ridge which divides the watershed of Grasmere, Rydal, and Windermere on the south from Thirlmere, and the river Greta on the north and west.