Wales , Lake Vyrnwy – A Victorian Engineering Feat

[lugg]

A short post card about rural north of mid Wales. Location - Lake Vrynwy, Powys . There is no city close by to help locate it but it is close to Welshpool, if that helps, and if not it is not far from the Snowdonia National Park. A whole lot of fun , too much to eat and drink but hey it was a NYE celebration and the setting was beautiful. The history of the area is fascinating .
Lake Vyrnwy is a man -made lake and was created as a fresh water reservoir to supply the city of Liverpool . The dam, built in 1889, is the earliest stone water dam in the UK. As was often the case at the time its creation required an Act of Parliament, and the re siting of a village and all its inhabitants.
The lake is incredibly beautiful and it seemed fairly unique to me , as unlike many other UK reservoirs, access was easy from the road that circumferences the whole of its shore line. The beauty of a January visit is that it was generally quiet. I can imagine that the narrow road around it becomes quite congested in Summer.
Here is a link to the history of the construction with some old photographs;
www.lake-vyrnwy.com/history.html
So spectacular was the dam that many people wanted to travel to see it and that in turn resulted in the building of the Victorian hotel where I stayed. It was built in 1890 and has only ever been run by 3 families. The city fathers of Liverpool also imported huge numbers of trout from Scotland to stock the lake and bought up huge areas of land around the lake to ensure the water was not polluted; I guess that kick- started the wildlife haven it is today.
After arrival and settling in our room for the next 2 nights we had a wander around the hotel. There was a definite Welsh dragon theme going on and some indication of the forthcoming festivities. High tea was calling too. Well it would have been rude not to have eaten at least one scone with cream and jam .



Then onto the terrace to see the lake itself just as the light was fading,



So for New Year’s Eve
…and a dragon takes centre stage during the champagne reception – it even blew smoke from its nostrils ; later it flooded the dancing area with disco type light 



Anyway we ate very well and drank too much of course and enjoyed the music, dancing and fireworks over the lake just after midnight. I was even persuaded ( forced) to wear a party hat . Of course being Wales it rained during the fireworks hence the spots on the lens.




New Years Day
So next day what better to cure / cement a hangover than a spot of clay pigeon shooting, fortunately the ear defenders were just about effective enough
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Here’s me – can you tell I hated it? I only fired x2 of my allocated shots and then said thanks but no thanks.
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My sister and I both decided that we would much prefer to have a walk so off we set
First the hotel/ grounds/ views from the hotel itself ,
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And then around the lake shore itself. First stop a close up look at the gothic , fairy tale like straining tower. This building houses the filter for the water before it enters the aqueduct that takes it to Liverpool.
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Next stop a picnic area close by to the site of the original village now submerged for the most part . It occasionally rises from the reservoir if levels are low; but no sign of it today
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The lake and surroundings are a haven for wildlife, particularly birds and there are a number of RSPB hides along the shore line. Anyway we only saw the relatively ordinary albeit rather lovely, (at least for now ) The reserve is designated as a national nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area, and a Special Area of Conservation. ( Phew) As I was reading the various info available on the net I came across an assertion that the water is used in the production of my favourite gin- Bombay Sapphire – not sure if that is fact or fallacy. But this film is fantastic – a real gem – it starts from pre – history and moves through the ages . The impact on the people who lived there and the environment is covered in such detail and it includes more recent history and the conservation and tourism industry today.

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Continuing around the 12 mile circumference there are several places to stop ( whether driving, cycling or walking)to enjoy the views or head along various trails.
Here is a little of what we saw ,
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I am not sure whether this is newly created or ancient,
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This is clearly modern,
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…there are a number of sculptures around the lake including these gigantic picnic tables
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On the opposite shore we saw a different perspective of the straining tower and the hotel,
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And finally having almost come full circuit we reached the dam itself. From Wiki …
When built it cost £620,000, equivalent to £62,000,000 in 2015.[1] The dam is 45 metres (146 ft) high from the bottom of the valley, and 37 metres (120 ft) thick at the base; it is 355 metres (1,165 ft) long and has a road bridge running along the top. It is decorated with over 25 arches and two small towers (each with four corner turrets) rising 4.3 metres (14 ft) above the road surface. Vyrnwy was the first dam to carry water over its crest instead of in a channel at the side.
Engineering Timelines info put the costs slightly higher ,
www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=387
Unfortunately we were not lucky enough to see surplus water cascading over the crest – still quite impressive though,
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So back to the hotel a spot of lunch and next activity learning about Falconry . Unfortunately Avian Flu is on the rise so the birds could not fly outside but we enjoyed a fascinating talk from a UK expert and were able to see some of the birds inside. My first surprise – Falconry is not just about falcons but the husbandry of a variety of birds of prey. Anyway unfortunately most of photos I took are rubbish but here are a few,
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After another fun evening with yet another yummy meal and a glass or 3 we certainly slept well. When we left the next morning the weather was clear and sunny and there had been a sprinkling of snow overnight. One last look before leaving,
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[mossie]

A super set of pictures, particularly of the birds. I really like the little wren? and partridge?. The straining tower looks like one of those Gothic German castles on the Rhine.

[cheerypeabrain]

Brilliant! Really enjoyed this Lugg...particularly the landscape images and the gorgeous trees (and you of course!)

[fumobici]

Really nice photos, thank you. One could use those to cool off on a hot summer's afternoon.

[Deleted]

This is a really excellent post card. I felt as though I spent New Year's with you.

My favourite photos are the ones of the tower standing on the edge of the lake in the dark.

[bjd]

What a good idea to go for a walk rather than shooting clay pigeons. Nice photos of an area totally unknown to me.

[bixaorellana]

Lugg, I was so relieved to read that your innate good manners kicked in at tea time.

What an absolutely beautiful area and the hotel fits in beautifully. Your pictures are out and out fabulous. Really, the ones of the dam make that alone seem worth a visit. All those lovely hills and water and mist -- it's easy to see how myths and tales of magic arose in Wales. Of course the tower perfectly adds to the atmosphere. In most of the photos, it's impossible to tell what century it is.

I admire you for trying to shoot and admire you even more for rejecting it in favor of an activity far better suited to those gorgeous surroundings.

Dazzling pics of the fireworks and New Year's looks like it was bunches of fun. Your headgear becomes you, my dear!

So interesting about the birds of prey. How do they exercise those poor birds while the health threat is keeping them indoors?

Thanks so much for whisking us away to someplace so unknown and so beautiful.

[breeze]

Lugg, thank you for the postcard from a place I'd never heard of but now want to go to. I don't think I've ever seen a more picturesque reservoir and dam. Those Victorians knew how to build for the ages. The same for the very appealing hotel.

When you said high tea, I instantly got hungry for scones, cream, and strawberry jam.