Swellands Reservoir

It neighbours Black Moss Reservoir to the south-west, which the Trust also owns and operates.

Update on the reservoir

A 2021 inspection identified that the reservoir requires essential upgrade works and the construction of a permanent access track. However, these works cannot be completed without harming the protected environment. 

After careful consideration of all factors, including environmental impacts, engineering feasibility and the reservoir’s role in supplying water to the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, we have determined that we must pursue discontinuance. Permanently draining the reservoir and restoring the natural habitat will avoid harming the protected environment, while ensuring public safety over the long term.  

This page explains why this decision has been made, what the works involve, what it means for water, wildlife, heritage and access, and what happens next. 

Why discontinuance is proposed

Swellands Reservoir is regularly inspected under the Reservoirs Act 1975. A statutory 10-year inspection in 2021 identified safety works that are legally required in order to retain the reservoir. Works include constructing a permanent access track to facilitate works to the dam and ensure access for ongoing inspections, maintenance and emergencies.  

We obtained planning permission in 2022 from the Peak District National Park Authority to build a permanent access track from the A62 to both Black Moss and Swellands reservoirs. 

The approved design for the permanent access track was for:  

• A stone track from the A62 to Black Moss Reservoir.  
• Timber bog mats from Black Moss to Swellands Reservoir to minimise disturbance to sensitive blanket bog and deep peat. 

The stone section was completed in 2023, along with part of the bog mat section as far as the western edge of Swellands Reservoir. However, it has not proved practicable to complete the final section of bog mat track around the northern edge of Swellands Reservoir to the dam due to challenging ground conditions and environmental constraints.  

During construction it was found that it was not possible to build the track within the rules set for the preservation of the peat and the ecological value of the land, and to avoid building a non-compliant project, construction of the final section could not be completed.  

Alternative options for completing the remainder of the permanent access track were considered, but all were found to have an even more harmful impact than the approved design. 

Without a complete permanent access track, the reservoir cannot be legally or safely operated, and we cannot meet our statutory safety duties.  

After careful consideration of all factors, including assessment of environmental impacts, the feasibility of required access works, and the reservoir’s role in water supply, the Trust has determined that it must discontinue Swellands Reservoir.  

What discontinuance involves 

Swellands Reservoir has been drawn down since 2023 as a precautionary public safety measure. Discontinuing the reservoir essentially means making this state permanent. 

This will include cutting a partial v-Notch channel through the embankment. This will allow water to remain in discrete areas of the existing reservoir basin while preventing water levels from rising above the statutory threshold. 

Discontinuing the reservoir will deliver habitat restoration and enhancement that benefit the ecology and protected status of the local area.

We will implement a habitat restoration and enhancement programme to restore and create habitats that align with the designated features of the South Pennine Moors Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the Dark Peak Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), namely blanket bog and other appropriate moorland habitats including swamp, flush, acid grassland and dry heath. 

To enable these works to be carried out: 

• The existing permanent access track to the western edge of the reservoir will be used. 
• A temporary access track will be constructed within the existing reservoir basin to reach the embankment; this will follow a track previously used for works in 2007. 
• This temporary track will be removed, along with a section of the existing timber bog mats, once works are complete and the land restored.

What discontinuance means for canal navigation and public water supply 

Swellands Reservoir is part of a water-sharing agreement between Canal & River Trust and Yorkshire Water. Discontinuing Swellands Reservoir will not affect the operation of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal or water availability. 

• Swellands is one of a number of reservoirs that provide water to Yorkshire Water’s water resource system. Under this water-sharing agreement, Yorkshire Water provides water at Marsden that helps to supply the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. 
• Yorkshire Water has confirmed that in its Water Resource Management Plan 2024, as a conservative assumption, excludes the limited storage benefit of Swellands Reservoir.
• We will continue to maintain and invest in our network of operational reservoirs supporting the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. Diggle, Slaithwaite and Sparth Reservoirs supply the canal directly, while March Haigh, Tunnel End, Redbrook and Black Moss form part of the water sharing agreement.

Find out more information about what discontinuance means for canal navigation and public water supply.  

What discontinuance means for the environment  

Discontinuing Swellands Reservoir is the least damaging option for meeting our legal requirements and will have a positive net impact on biodiversity.  

A habitat restoration and enhancement programme will:  

• Repair and improve the natural moorland landscape, focusing on the restoration of blanket bog and other characteristic moorland habitats, including wet boggy areas, grassland and heathland. 
• Provide more habitat for breeding and wintering moorland birds, including golden plover and other protected bird species associated with the area. 
• Visually integrate the proposed works with their surroundings, reducing adverse landscape and visual impacts through a design that reflects local landforms and uses stone reclaimed from the site. 

What discontinuance means for public access 

Public access to the surrounding open moorland will continue during and after the proposed works. 

During construction: 

• Brun Clough Car Park will remain open to the public but will also be used as an overflow car park for construction staff and may periodically experience additional traffic during normal working hours.  
• There will be localised and temporary disruption to the Pennine Way where it interacts with construction activity, with appropriate measures in place to ensure public safety. 

After completion: 

• A short section of bog mat track will be retained to provide Trust operational staff with a vehicular turning point for ongoing maintenance at Black Moss Reservoir. 
• Visitors will still recognise Swellands as a former reservoir. Visitors will be able to see many other canal reservoirs in the surrounding landscape that will fuel their imagination. 

What discontinuance means for heritage

Swellands Reservoir is a historic early 19th-century reservoir, and its key heritage features will be retained. 

• Although the reservoir will no longer hold a large volume of water, the majority of its embankment and the unusual bull pit will be retained, preserving important features of its historic character.  
• The retained embankment will remain available for future study of early 19th-century reservoir construction. 
• Although the moors around Swellands Reservoir can feel inhospitable today, they were used by people in prehistoric times, including the Mesolithic period, as shown by Stone Age artefacts found in the surrounding area. 
• As part of the discontinuance works, we will work with archaeologists and heritage specialists to ensure that any archaeological remains uncovered are properly recorded. 

Next steps

The Trust is preparing a planning application to submit to the Peak District National Park Authority to seek consent for the discontinuance works. 

There will be opportunities for public engagement throughout the planning process, including a statutory consultation where comments can be submitted. 

Subject to planning approval, works must be completed by September 2028 in order to comply with statutory reservoir safety requirements. 

How to get in touch

If you have any questions, please contact the Swellands Reservoir Engagement Team: 

• Email:  [email protected]
• Freephone: 0800 652 3504 (Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00, excluding bank holidays) 
• Write to: Freepost SWELLANDS CRT (No stamp required) 

You can also find answers to common questions in the Frequently Asked Questions section.