Edgbaston Reservoir

Edgbaston Reservoir
The Reservoir in August 2014
Location	Ladywood, Birmingham, England
Coordinates	52°28′47.13″N 1°56′13.54″W / 52.4797583°N 1.9370944°W / 52.4797583; -1.9370944Coordinates: 52°28′47.13″N 1°56′13.54″W / 52.4797583°N 1.9370944°W / 52.4797583; -1.9370944
Type	Reservoir
Basin countries	United Kingdom
Max. length	800 metres (2,600 ft)
Max. width	550 metres (1,800 ft)
Surface area	58 acres (230,000 m2)
Average depth	5.90 metres (19.4 ft)
Max. depth	40 feet (12 m)
Water volume	1,463,800 cubic metres (322,000,000 imp gal)
Shore length1	2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Edgbaston Reservoir, originally known as Rotton Park Reservoir and referred to in some early maps as Rock Pool Reservoir, is a canal feeder reservoir in Birmingham, England. Despite its name, it is actually situated in Ladywood rather than nearby Edgbaston [1] [2] [3]. It is situated close to Birmingham City Centre and is a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation.

Originally a small pool named Roach Pool in Rotton Park it was extensively enlarged by Thomas Telford between 1824-1829 to supply water to the Birmingham and Wolverhampton Levels of the Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) canal system via Icknield Port Loop at the foot of the dam. It was excavated to a depth of 40 feet (12 m) and covers an area of 58 acres (230,000 m²), holding 300,000,000 imperial gallons (1,400,000 m³) of water, and was the largest expanse of water in Birmingham at the time. It is supplied by small streams and a feeder from Titford Reservoir (Titford Pools) in Oldbury. It was formed by damming a small stream. The dam is a 330 metre long earth embankment with a height of 10 metres near the centre.

The reservoir and gatehouse were designed by Thomas Telford and the latter is a listed building in corporate BCN octagonal style. In 1873, it was crossed by Charles Blondin, on a tightrope. His feat is marked by a 1992 statue on the nearby Ladywood Middleway ring road.