# Burrator Reservoir > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Burrator_Reservoir > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Burrator_Reservoir.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrator_Reservoir > Source revision: 1231932148 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Reservoir in Devon, England Burrator Reservoir Location Dartmoor, Devon, England Type Reservoir Primary inflows River Meavy, Sheepstor Brook Basin countries England Surface area 150 acres (61 hectares) (approximate) Interactive map of Burrator Reservoir **Burrator Reservoir** is a reservoir situated on the southern side of [Dartmoor](/source/Dartmoor) in [Devon](/source/Devon), England. It is part of [a number of reservoirs and dams](/source/Dartmoor_reservoirs) that were built over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries in the area now covered by [Dartmoor National Park](/source/Dartmoor_National_Park) to supply drinking water to the city of [Plymouth](/source/Plymouth) and other rapidly growing towns in the surrounding lowlands. Burrator Reservoir was completed in 1898 and later expanded in 1929. The reservoir was built under the supervision of Edward Sandeman (1862-1959), the Water Engineer for [Plymouth](/source/Plymouth). The reservoir has two dams, the Burrator Dam, which is built across the River Meavy at Burrator Gorge at the south-western end, and the Sheepstor Dam built on a dividing ridge between the Meavy and Sheepstor Brook at the south-eastern end. The Burrator Dam was the first of the two to be built, with construction starting on 9 August 1893. It is the more massive of the two dams, constructed of concrete faced with granite blocks. The Sheepstor Dam was built in 1894 and is an earth embankment with a core wall of [puddled clay](/source/Puddling_(engineering)) above the original ground level, with a concrete section below ground. The reservoir was officially opened on 21 September 1898.[1] In 1923 plans were made to enlarge the reservoir's capacity from 668 million gallons to 1,026 million by raising the height of both dams by 10 feet. Work began in December 1923, including the construction of a temporary suspension bridge near Burrator Dam to maintain traffic flow during the project. The reservoir was officially re-opened on 12 September 1928.[1] Burrator Dam By the 1930s the watershed on Dartmoor for the reservoir was stated to be 5,360 acres. The present-day area of the reservoir at overflow level is about 150 acres. The reservoir's edges are planted with commercial forests.[1] Today, Burrator Reservoir is managed by the South West Lakes Trust and serves as a popular destination for leisure activities such as walking, cycling, and fishing. ## The reservoir in popular culture The reservoir featured in the first episode of the second series of *[James May's Man Lab](/source/James_May's_Man_Lab)*, broadcast on [BBC Two](/source/BBC_Two) in October 2011, when [Oz Clarke](/source/Oz_Clarke) and [James May](/source/James_May) travelled along the reservoir's edge while attempting to stage an escape from [Dartmoor Prison](/source/HMP_Dartmoor) to the village of [Meavy](/source/Meavy). The reservoir also features in [Steven Spielberg](/source/Steven_Spielberg)'s 2011 film, *[War Horse](/source/War_Horse_(film))*. ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-plymouthdata1_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-plymouthdata1_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-plymouthdata1_1-2) Moseley, Brian (February 2011). ["Burrator Reservoir"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131129135529/http://www.plymouthdata.info/BurratorReservoir.htm). *The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History*. Plymouth Data. Archived from [the original](http://www.plymouthdata.info/BurratorReservoir.htm) on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2015. ## External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Burrator Reservoir](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Burrator_Reservoir). - [Burrator Reservoir page at South West Lakes Trust website](http://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/lakes-and-facilities/the-lakes/burrator) [50°29′56.57″N 4°2′25.64″W / 50.4990472°N 4.0404556°W / 50.4990472; -4.0404556](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Burrator_Reservoir¶ms=50_29_56.57_N_4_2_25.64_W_type:landmark_region:GB-CMA) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Burrator Reservoir](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrator_Reservoir) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrator_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.