Stithians Reservoir

Stithians Reservoir (Cornish: Kreun Stedhyan) is a reservoir situated just under a mile to the west of the village of Stithians, Cornwall, England, UK.

Stithians Reservoir
Stithians Reservoir
Location	Cornwall TR16 6NW
Coordinates	50°10′54″N 5°12′16″W grid reference SW 713 362
Type	reservoir
Basin countries	England, United Kingdom
Surface area	1.1 km2 (0.42 sq mi)
Water volume	5,205 megalitres (4,220 acre⋅ft)
Settlements	Stithians, Cornwall

History

Work on the dam began on 19 July 1962, however work stopped shortly after due to excavations which revealed the site was over a large area of soft kaolinised granite, which would require expensive foundations. A new design was drawn up for the dam, which was the current arched design. The dam was opened on 13 October 1967 by Sir John Carew Pole, whilst the Bishop of Truro, Dr Maurice Key blessed the reservoir.

By the opening in 1967 the valley behind the dam was completely flooded, 274 acres of farmland and three country houses became submerged. Two causeways were built to carry sections of roads that were flooded, one at the southern end and the other in the north western corner near the Golden Lion Inn.

Statistics

The dam is 41.5 m high and 244 m wide. It was built at a total cost of £1,125,000 (£25,791,900 equivalent as of 2024).

Usage

There is a campsite and an outdoor activity centre offering watersports facilities at Stithians Lake, including sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, SUP and canoeing activities. Other activities include bird watching and fly fishing for trout.

See also

• List of reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom

References

Bill Scolding (2009) Five Walks around Wendron, Wendron Parish Council