Lakes of London

Question

This piglix contains articles or sub-piglix about Lakes of London

Answer 1

Reservoirs in London

This piglix contains articles or sub-piglix about Reservoirs in London

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Wikipedia

Answer 2

Clapton Pond

Clapton Pond is a pond and garden, located in Hackney, east London.

The name ‘Clapton’ or ‘farm on the hill’ is derived from the Old English words ‘clop’, meaning a lump or hill, and ‘ton’, meaning a farm.

For centuries the land was owned by the Bishops of London, and occupied by tenant farmers who grew hay and food for the City of London.

The villages of Lower and Upper Clapton lay on either side of Clapton Lane, which later became the Lower and Upper Clapton Roads. Lying about halfway between the two villages was Clapton Pond, fed by a natural spring. This would have been used to irrigate the land, and supply water for the farmers and their animals.

By the late 18th century Clapton had become a fashionable place to live, with many fine country houses built for the rich merchants of London. Huguenot and Jewish communities also moved into the area, helping to develop Clapton into a prosperous neighbourhood.

In the 19th century Clapton turned from being a sleepy backwater into a bustling London suburb and many of its grand houses were demolished to provide land for new homes. This rapid growth was increased by the opening of Clapton railway station in 1872, and the arrival of the tramways. By the 1890s, the houses on Thistlewaite, Newick, Mildenhall and Millfields Roads had been built, supplying much needed housing for newcomers.

Despite the decline of Clapton’s prosperity in the 1920s and 1930s, the first half of the 20th century saw Clapton Pond at its most glorious, a perfect setting for the unique buildings situated behind the pond - the 17th-century Bishop Wood’s Almshouses, the late 18th-century Pond House and the two mid 18th-century houses.

The pond and gardens have always served as a focal point for the people of Clapton, from the few farmers who worked the land hundreds of years ago, to the multi-cultural community living and working in Clapton in the 21st century, who use it for public events and as a place to relax.

In recent years the Clapton Pond Neighbourhood Action Group has been working to renovate the pond.

Coordinates: 51°33′22″N 0°03′18″W / 51.5561°N 0.0550°W / 51.5561; -0.0550

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Wikipedia

Answer 3

Highams Park Lake, Waltham Forest, London

Highams Park Lake was formed in the early 19th century by the famous landscape gardener Humphry Repton, he diverted the Ching which flooded the site to create the lake. The lake was part of the grounds of the Large Manor Of Highams, built in 1768 and converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers during the Crimean war of 1853-1856, and today the Woodford County High School for Girls. The lake was given to the public in the late 19th century.

There has been a boating history for over 100 years on this lake with an "old boat house" but it is not in use today. Canoes are now more commonly used on the lake in the 21st century and stored elsewhere. The lake was featured on the BBC "Blue Peter" children's programme in the late 1970s, when the whole boat house roof had to be lifted off to get the large yacht that had been built inside it by volunteers onto a large craned lorry to take the vessel to the sea. The boat was built by the help of the youngsters collecting old news papers from the Chingford and Highams Park community once a week and then selling them by weight and as a reward the yacht club owners gave them a great yacht (mostly Flies) and only charged about 45p a week club fees. Other yachts used at the time in the 1960s throughout until the 1980s on the lake was the Gipsy Moth (Larger boats than the Flies) these boats was thought to be built by a local school and looked professionally made.

Highams Park is a large area of parkland adjacent to the lake. In the 1940s "Prefab" houses were built and stood above the lake, they were demolished in 1969. The park borders Woodford Green and reaches close to Chingford Hatch.

Highams Park Lake Reference from the Highams Park Forum:Following the panel engineer's report major works are planned for the Highams Park Lake area over the next 3 years. Highams Park has been upgraded to a Category A Reservoir, which means that flooding at the site has the potential to cause deaths. We would like to ensure that any work undertaken is sensitive to the Repton landscape, which is one of his Red Book designs. The existing dam will need to be raised and it will no doubt prove to be a challenge to do this sympathetically to the Repton landscape.

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Wikipedia

Answer 4

The Long Water

The Long Water

The Long Water is a recreational lake in Kensington Gardens, London, England, created in 1730 at the behest of Queen Caroline. The Long Water refers to the long and narrow western half of the lake that is known as the Serpentine. Serpentine Bridge, which marks the boundary between Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, also marks the Long Water's eastern boundary.

The Long Water and the Serpentine are generally considered to be part of one lake.

Originally the lake was fed by the River Westbourne entering at the Italian Garden at the north-western end of the Long Water. The Westbourne ceased to provide the water for the Serpentine in 1834, as the river had become polluted, and so water was then pumped from the Thames. The water is now supplied by three boreholes drilled into the Upper Chalk. The first borehole is located at the Italian Gardens, the second at the Diana Memorial and the third, drilled in 2012 to a depth of 132m, is within 50m of the Diana Memorial. The Long Water runs south-east from this point to Serpentine Bridge, where the lake curves to the east, following the natural contours of the land. At the eastern end, water flows out of the lake via a sluice in the dam, forming a small ornamental waterfall at the Dell. The outflow has not historically maintained the waterfall, and re-circulation pumps were installed in the Dell, below the dam, to sustain this feature. The restoration work in 2012 restored the flows into the Serpentine and this waterfall is now restored as originally designed. Historically the river flowed due south from this point, marking the boundary between Westminster and Kensington, but since 1850 it has been diverted into a culvert, running underground to reach the Thames near Chelsea Bridge.

The lake as a whole (including the Serpentine) has a maximum depth of 17 feet (5.3 m). The lake is often reported to be deeper, but bathymetric surveys by the Royal Park in 2010 revealed the design of the lake.

In 1730 Queen Caroline, wife of George II, ordered the damming of the River Westbourne in Hyde Park as part of a general redevelopment of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Original monastic ponds may have existing in the location and these were modified as part of the 1730–1732 scheme to create a single lake. At that time, the Westbourne formed eleven natural ponds in the park. During the 1730s, the lake filled to its current size and shape. The redevelopment was carried out by Royal Gardener Charles Bridgeman, who dammed the Westbourne to create the artificial lake, and dug a large pond in the centre of Kensington Gardens (The Round Pond) to be a focal point for pathways in the park.

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Wikipedia

Answer 5

Round Pond (London)

Coordinates: 51°30′21″N 0°11′0″W / 51.50583°N 0.18333°W / 51.50583; -0.18333

The Round Pond is an ornamental lake in Kensington Gardens, London, in front of Kensington Palace.

The pond was created in 1730 by George II. It is approximately seven acres (2.8 ha) in extent, measuring approximately 200 by 150 metres (660 by 490 ft). It is up to 5 metres (16 ft) deep. Despite its name, it is not circular, but rectangular with stepped and rounded corners. With a long history of popularity with model yacht enthusiasts, it is the home of the Model Yacht Sailing Association (established 1876) and the London Model Yacht Club (established 1884).

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Wikipedia

Answer 6

The Serpentine

The Serpentine

Route map: Bing / Google

The Serpentine (also known as the Serpentine River) is a 40-acre (16 ha) recreational lake in Hyde Park, London, England, created in 1730 at the behest of Queen Caroline. Although it is common to refer to the entire body of water as the Serpentine, strictly the name refers only to the eastern half of the lake. Serpentine Bridge, which marks the boundary between Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, also marks the Serpentine's western boundary; the long and narrow western half of the lake is known as the Long Water. The Serpentine takes its name from its snakelike, curving shape, although it only has one bend.

Originally fed by the River Westbourne and Tyburn Brook in the 1730s, the lake's water was then pumped from the Thames in the 1830s. The water is now pumped from three boreholes within Hyde Park, the most recent being installed in May 2012 as part of the 2011–2012 restoration of the Lake. The Serpentine provided a focal point for The Great Exhibition of 1851, and more recently was a venue for the men's and women's triathlon and marathon swimming events in the London 2012 Olympics. Since 1864 the Serpentine Swimming Club has organised a 100-yard race every Christmas morning for the Peter Pan Cup, inaugurated by J. M. Barrie, the creator of the fictional character Peter Pan.

There are many recreational facilities around the Serpentine, as well as boating on the lake itself. In 1860 the Serpentine was to be modified into a skating pond with formal edges. This scheme was not implemented. Among the landmarks near the lake is the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain.

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Wikipedia

Answer 7

South Norwood Lake and Grounds

South Norwood Lake and Grounds

South Norwood Lake and Grounds is a park in South Norwood in the London Borough of Croydon. The main entrance is in Woodvale Avenue while other entrances are located in Auckland Road and Sylvan Road. The area measures up to 28 ¹â„₂ acres 11.53 hectares.

The lake was originally created as a reservoir for the Croydon Canal, which from 1809 to 1836 ran between Croydon and the Grand Surrey Canal at New Cross. Today is now used by local anglers, who fish for carp, bream and perch among others, and Croydon Sailing Club. The lake is also home to a variety of aquatic birds including a number of great crested grebes as well as regularly sighted herons and ringed-necked parakeets that can be seen nesting on the island.

As well as the lake there is a bowling green, tennis and basketball courts, football pitches, a cricket pitch, a playground and a trim trail. The park still has active Park Rangers and has a Park Ranger's office with public toilets.

In 2004 there was a massive fishing kill due to blue green algae and the predominant fish species left was Carp and Perch. The Carp at the time were over 20+ up to 39 lb and were noted to be picky as there were few other fish in the lake to eat the food. The lake itself has lots of natural food including a blood worm bar.

Coordinates: 51°24′25″N 0°04′26″W / 51.407°N 0.074°W / 51.407; -0.074

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Wikipedia