Earlswood Lakes

Earlswood Lakes is the modern name for three man-made reservoirs which were built in the 1820s at Earlswood in Warwickshire, England, to supply water to the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. They still supply the canal, and also provide leisure facilities, including sailing, fishing and walking. The northern banks of the lakes form the county boundary with the West Midlands.

The Stratford-upon-Avon Canal runs from Kings Norton Junction, where it joins the Worcester and Birmingham Canal to Stratford-upon-Avon, where it joins the River Avon, with a junction about halfway along at Kingswood, where it joins the Grand Union Canal. The initial 9.75 miles (15.6 km) to Hockley Heath is level, but after that, the canal drops through 55 locks on its way to Stratford-upon-Avon. In order to supply water to the system, the Earlswood Lakes were constructed in the 1820s. Construction took nearly 5 years to complete, and the labour force included prisoners of war from the Napoleonic wars. The cost of construction was £297,000.

Being so near to Birmingham, the lakes proved attractive to visitors from the city from the early 2000s, and their popularity has been maintained, with recent improvements to the facilities which they provide. The Lakes railway station was built to bring tourists to the area and is on the Birmingham to Stratford line.

The three reservoirs are called Engine Pool, Windmill Pool and Terry's Pool, and a Grade II listed engine house is located beside the Engine Pool. The lakes cover 25 acres (10 ha), 25 acres (10 ha) and 20 acres (8.1 ha) respectively. The lakes are fed by tributaries of the River Blythe, and in turn outfall into that river also.

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