# Blackbrook Reservoir > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Blackbrook_Reservoir > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Blackbrook_Reservoir.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbrook_Reservoir > Source revision: 1348059814 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Reservoir in Leicestershire, England Blackbrook Reservoir Site of Special Scientific Interest Location of Blackbrook Reservoir. Location Leicestershire Grid reference SK 459 173[1] Interest Biological Area 33.4 hectares[1] Notification 1985[1] Location map Magic Map **Blackbrook Reservoir** is a 33.4-hectare (83-acre) biological [Site of Special Scientific Interest](/source/Site_of_Special_Scientific_Interest) between [Shepshed](/source/Shepshed) and [Whitwick](/source/Whitwick) in [Leicestershire](/source/Leicestershire).[1][2] The [reservoir](/source/Reservoir) was constructed in 1796 in order to feed the [Charnwood Forest Canal](/source/Charnwood_Forest_Canal), which has long since vanished. The first dam constructed was an earthworks one, and this failed on 20 February 1799. In eleven minutes the reservoir was empty and as a result local farmland was ruined, sheep were drowned, and much of [Shepshed](/source/Shepshed) and nearby [Loughborough](/source/Loughborough) were affected by flood waters. The dam was repaired in 1801, but the canal was no longer commercially viable. The present gravity dam was constructed in 1906 and was officially opened by the first Mayor of Loughborough [Joseph Griggs](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Joseph_Griggs&action=edit&redlink=1). In 1957 the dam felt the effects of a magnitude 5.3 earthquake. The tremors caused heavy coping stones to shift and cracks appeared in the faces of the dam. The reservoir has a plant community on its margins which is unique in the Midlands and only found in a few northern sites. Its unusual mix of flora includes *[Juncus filiformis](/source/Juncus_filiformis)* at its most southern locations, and the lake itself has native [white-clawed crayfish](/source/White-clawed_crayfish), where it is isolated from the invasive American [signal crayfish](/source/Signal_crayfish).[3] One Barrow Lane crosses the south-eastern end of the reservoir. The lane is carried by the One Barrow Viaduct, a blue brick construction consisting of three arches. Previously it served as the entranceway drive to the now demolished One Barrow Lodge Farm. This is a public footpath which eventually leads you out on the Oaks Road, near Mount St Bernard Abbey. The dam and reservoir is managed by [Severn Trent](/source/Severn_Trent) and is currently in a redundant state. There is strictly no access to the dam which is on private land - a part of the Grace Dieu & Longcliffe Estate. ## See also - [United Kingdom portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:United_Kingdom) - [Transport portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Transport) - [Canals of the United Kingdom](/source/Canals_of_the_United_Kingdom) - [History of the British canal system](/source/History_of_the_British_canal_system) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-dsv_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-dsv_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-dsv_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-dsv_1-3) ["Designated Sites View: Blackbrook Reservoir"](https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1003378&SiteName=blackbr&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea=). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 15 September 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-map_2-0)** ["Map of Blackbrook Reservoir"](http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003378%27). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 15 September 2017. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Blackbrook Reservoir citation"](http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003378%27). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 15 September 2017. ## External links - [In Search of the Lost Canal](https://web.archive.org/web/20220706085203/http://www.geocities.com/oliveshark53/canal.htm) - by S N Badcock - [A circular walk to Bardon Hill](http://www.britishwalks.org/walks/2005/662.php) - Includes photographs of the reservoir - [Leicestershire Climbs](http://www.leicesterclimbs.f9.co.uk/BlackbrookI.htm) - Blackbrook Reservoir Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Blackbrook Reservoir](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Blackbrook_Reservoir). [52°45′04″N 1°19′19″W / 52.751°N 1.322°W / 52.751; -1.322](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Blackbrook_Reservoir¶ms=52.751_N_1.322_W_type:landmark_region:GB-BNE) v t e Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Leicestershire Biological Allexton Wood Ashby Canal Bardon Hill Barrow Gravel Pits Beacon Hill, Hangingstone and Outwoods Benscliffe Wood Blackbrook Reservoir Botcheston Bog Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir Breedon Cloud Wood and Quarry Breedon Hill Briery Wood Heronry, Belvoir Buddon Wood and Swithland Reservoir Burbage Wood and Aston Firs Cave's Inn Pits Charnwood Lodge Chater Valley Coalville Meadows Cotes Grassland Cribb's Lodge Meadows Croft Hill Croft Pasture Croxton Park Debdale Meadow, Muston Dimminsdale Donington Park Eye Brook Reservoir Eye Brook Valley Woods Frisby Marsh Grace Dieu and High Sharpley Grantham Canal Great Bowden Borrowpit Groby Pool and Woods Harby Hill Wood Holly Rock Fields Holwell Mouth Kendall's Meadow Kilby - Foxton Canal King Lud's Entrenchments and The Drift Launde Big Wood Leighfield Forest Lockington Marshes Loughborough Meadows Lount Meadows Misterton Marshes Muston Meadows Narborough Bog Newton Burgoland Marshes Oakley Wood Owston Woods Pasture and Asplin Woods River Eye River Mease Roecliffe Manor Lawns Saddington Reservoir Sheepy Fields Sheet Hedges Wood Stanford Park Stonesby Quarry Swithland Wood and The Brand Terrace Hills Pasture Twenty Acre Piece Ulverscroft Valley Wymondham Rough Geological Bardon Hill Quarry Beacon Hill, Hangingstone and Outwoods Bradgate Park and Cropston Reservoir Breedon Cloud Wood and Quarry Buddon Wood and Swithland Reservoir Charnwood Lodge Cliffe Hill Quarry Croft and Huncote Quarry Dimminsdale Enderby Warren Quarry Gipsy Lane Pit Grace Dieu and High Sharpley Ives Head Main Quarry, Mountsorrel Newhurst Quarry One Barrow Plantation Shepshed Cutting Sproxton Quarry Tilton Cutting This United Kingdom canal-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:UK-canal-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AUK-canal-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:UK-canal-stub) This Leicestershire location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Leicestershire-geo-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3ALeicestershire-geo-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Leicestershire-geo-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Blackbrook Reservoir](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbrook_Reservoir) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbrook_Reservoir?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.