Description
This 1894 photograph from Thirlmere in the English Lake District is taken from (The Pall Mall Magazine 1894). Its title is Building the Straining Well. Thirlmere reservoir was constructed in the 19th century to provide the city of Manchester with water, which it does to this day. The area flooded by the creation of Thirlmere was previously occupied by two smaller lakes, Leathes Water and Wythburn Water. The water level was raised by construction of a dam at the northern end of Thirlmere in 1890–1894. The construction of Thirlmere would have been underway at the date when this map was created. The map shows, by way of a dotted line, the area that will be covered over with water after the creation of the dam. The water level was raised by fifty feet / fifteen metres. After strong local opposition, an Act of Parliament was passed in 1879 allowing the construction to begin.