1. The History
The Redmires Reservoirs are a group of three reservoirs in Fulwood, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They are fed from various small streams rising from the Hallam Moors, including Fairthorn Clough. The three reservoirs are named Upper, Middle and Lower and date back to 1836. They were created to provide clean drinking water, via a water course, down to Barker's Pool, 5½ miles away, following Sheffield’s devastating cholera epidemic in 1832.
Old O/S map:
Key:
A – Oaking Clough Reservoir
B – Wassoo
C – New filtration works
D – Old Filtration works
There are two former Water Treatment Works/Filter Stations. The first can be found on Long Causeway. It is located beside the Lower reservoir and dates back to 1950. It supplied water to the south-western outer environs of Sheffield via the Ringlow and Rudd Hill service reservoirs. The systems utilized seven horizontal pressure filters (installed at its inception in 1950) and a clear water tank which was installed 1983. Preliminary treatment of the water was conducted in the lower reservoir before it was then filtered. Lime was added to separate the natural aluminium from the water, making it clump together so it could be filtered out.
Despite the works producing water below modern standards, it was of a satisfactory colour and cleanliness, and despite high iron and aluminium levels, was still safe to drink.
However, a new plant was constructed opposite the old works in the mid-80s which used the “Sirofloc” Process. The water from this new plant was then piped to the old works to be filtered as a final process. The older waterworks was decommissioned when it closed around 1997 and was stripped of its machinery and apparatus in 2013. The works was on the market with Reeds Rains at a guide price of £277,000 a couple of years ago and sold. Since then, though, no conversion has taken place and it sits empty and forlorn. The second newer-build was in commission until after 2011, but after this date was decommissioned. Recently it has been cleaned out by the metal faeries and like its older counterpart, it has been pretty much trashed.
2. The Explore
Reported on the various parts of the reservoir previously, namely the Wassoo (HERE) Oaking Clough Reservoir (HERE) and the old and new filtration works (HERE) and (HERE). But despite going walking round the local area fairly regularly, I’d not reported on them for nearly 5 years. Hence, being in the area, thought I’d was high time to have another look and put together a report that covered the place as a whole.
Below is a revisit report on three of the four parts of the reservoir. I didn’t bother with the old filtration works as I was running out of time plus the place is now so far gone. The first time I reported on the new filtration works was July 2020. The place had just come on grid and the metal thieves had been in and given it a good rinsing, but it still represented a great explore internally, if not externally. It’s still worth a look if you’ve not seen it but it’s since seen many more visits from the metal hunters and, critically, the local yoofs. The Wassoo remains a lovely bijou drain explore and the walk over to the former Oaking Clough Reservoir very enjoyable. So, in total, still a very worthwhile but underrated place for a mooch.
3. The Pictures
First up is the Wassoo. The reservoir is pretty low:
The wassoo looks like this:
When it has looked like this in the past:
Reservoir manager’s hut:
On to the drain entrance.
Nice stonework!
Pretty clean in here:
Out of the concrete pipe section we pop:
And on to the bottom of the wassoo:
And back out again:
Next it's on the lovely walk up to Oaking Clough Reservoir. You got past some lovely stone cattle creep bridges:
And this curio:
What is it, I hear you ask. Well, after a bit of research, I found out that it is one of several “sighting towers” that were used for surveying and alignment during the construction of the Rivelin Tunnel which lies below. The tunnel is 4.5 miles long and carries water from the Ladybower reservoir the Derwent to reservoir and then to Sheffield.
The Redmires Reservoirs are a group of three reservoirs in Fulwood, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They are fed from various small streams rising from the Hallam Moors, including Fairthorn Clough. The three reservoirs are named Upper, Middle and Lower and date back to 1836. They were created to provide clean drinking water, via a water course, down to Barker's Pool, 5½ miles away, following Sheffield’s devastating cholera epidemic in 1832.
Old O/S map:
Key:
A – Oaking Clough Reservoir
B – Wassoo
C – New filtration works
D – Old Filtration works
There are two former Water Treatment Works/Filter Stations. The first can be found on Long Causeway. It is located beside the Lower reservoir and dates back to 1950. It supplied water to the south-western outer environs of Sheffield via the Ringlow and Rudd Hill service reservoirs. The systems utilized seven horizontal pressure filters (installed at its inception in 1950) and a clear water tank which was installed 1983. Preliminary treatment of the water was conducted in the lower reservoir before it was then filtered. Lime was added to separate the natural aluminium from the water, making it clump together so it could be filtered out.
Despite the works producing water below modern standards, it was of a satisfactory colour and cleanliness, and despite high iron and aluminium levels, was still safe to drink.
However, a new plant was constructed opposite the old works in the mid-80s which used the “Sirofloc” Process. The water from this new plant was then piped to the old works to be filtered as a final process. The older waterworks was decommissioned when it closed around 1997 and was stripped of its machinery and apparatus in 2013. The works was on the market with Reeds Rains at a guide price of £277,000 a couple of years ago and sold. Since then, though, no conversion has taken place and it sits empty and forlorn. The second newer-build was in commission until after 2011, but after this date was decommissioned. Recently it has been cleaned out by the metal faeries and like its older counterpart, it has been pretty much trashed.
2. The Explore
Reported on the various parts of the reservoir previously, namely the Wassoo (HERE) Oaking Clough Reservoir (HERE) and the old and new filtration works (HERE) and (HERE). But despite going walking round the local area fairly regularly, I’d not reported on them for nearly 5 years. Hence, being in the area, thought I’d was high time to have another look and put together a report that covered the place as a whole.
Below is a revisit report on three of the four parts of the reservoir. I didn’t bother with the old filtration works as I was running out of time plus the place is now so far gone. The first time I reported on the new filtration works was July 2020. The place had just come on grid and the metal thieves had been in and given it a good rinsing, but it still represented a great explore internally, if not externally. It’s still worth a look if you’ve not seen it but it’s since seen many more visits from the metal hunters and, critically, the local yoofs. The Wassoo remains a lovely bijou drain explore and the walk over to the former Oaking Clough Reservoir very enjoyable. So, in total, still a very worthwhile but underrated place for a mooch.
3. The Pictures
First up is the Wassoo. The reservoir is pretty low:
The wassoo looks like this:
When it has looked like this in the past:
Reservoir manager’s hut:
On to the drain entrance.
Nice stonework!
Pretty clean in here:
Out of the concrete pipe section we pop:
And on to the bottom of the wassoo:
And back out again:
Next it's on the lovely walk up to Oaking Clough Reservoir. You got past some lovely stone cattle creep bridges:
And this curio:
What is it, I hear you ask. Well, after a bit of research, I found out that it is one of several “sighting towers” that were used for surveying and alignment during the construction of the Rivelin Tunnel which lies below. The tunnel is 4.5 miles long and carries water from the Ladybower reservoir the Derwent to reservoir and then to Sheffield.
Last edited:
