Activities
General information
Some fun facts about Lake Vyrnwy
- Lake Vyrnwy was created to capture water from the River Vyrnwy so it could be used to supply the ever expanding city of Liverpool with fresh clean drinking water.
- Work began in 1881 and The Dam was completed in 1888. The lake took two years to fill and water was first supplied to Liverpool in 1891. An official ceremony in1910 was conducted by the then HRH the Prince of Wales to mark the completion of the works.
- The reservoir is 216 ft deep at its maximum depth. The pointed tower is the ‘straining tower’ and is where the water leaves the lake on the start of its 70 mile journey down the aqueduct. The water passes through a fine metal mesh to remove large objects. Lake Vyrnwy is surrounded by a perimeter road which is 11.75 miles long.
- The dam and reservoir was built to take advantage of the nearby Vyrnwy Valley and The River Vyrnwy. The reservoir was filled by restricting the flow of the river behind the Dam.
The two stone towers on the top of the dam house the valves which control the excess water flowing from the base of the wall to allow the river to flow normally.
Educational visits
School groups: Lake Vyrnwy provides facilities for school groups to visit the site and learn more about the water and its history and wildlife.
School visits can be organised by contacting our Ranger Team on 01691870571 to find out more.