When most people think about London they imagine skyscrapers and the busy city centre. However, the city also has a number of amazing nature spots. Brent Reservoir is one of them, and we want to have a closer look at it today. Then, if you need help with estate management in Brent, you can speak to us.
Scientific importance
Brent Reservoir is an important biological site, particularly for birds. In fact, people have been photographing and tracking birds here since 1866, giving a thorough history of the site. There have been many rare sightings over the years, including the first sighting of the Iberian chiffchaff in the UK in 1972.
The reservoir is also one of the most crucial breeding sites for waterbirds. To help with this, in 2022 the Canal & River Trust got £55,000 in funding from the Grow Back Greener Fund to install floating ecosystems on the water. The artificial islands are great for nesting, and are especially helpful for the great crested grebe population. In addition, the islands improve the water quality.
Construction
The creation of Brent Reservoir was a really incredible project. Its original goal was to help supply water for the canal system. The first plans date back to 1803, but did not proceed due to the high costs. However, there were big issues with canal water shortages because of the amount of traffic and lock openings. A decision was made in 1819 to dam the River Brent to create the reservoir and feed the Grand Union Canal.
Construction began in 1834 and was complete the next year. Initially it was 69 acres, but there were several extensions to increase capacity. At its largest it was 400 acres. With the decline of the canal traffic though, the reservoir did not need to be as large. Today it is smaller, but still an impressive 110 acres.
Draining
Brent Reservoir was drained in 1994 to do important maintenance. At the time, 3,000kg of fish were caught to release into other waterways.
In October 2023 a second project began to do more maintenance. The main focus here was on repairing the sluice gates. It took around 4 weeks to drain approximately one million cubic metres of water. This reduced water levels enough to allow work on the sluices.
The project, set to be complete by March 2024, involved the capture and rehoming of over 100,000 fish. It also revealed some incredible things, including a forgotten river (the Silk Stream) and tonnes of litter. Sadly a lot of the latter is the result of fly tipping over the years.
Brent Reservoir is a fantastic site and great for a day out. Visitors can go for walks and try to spot various types of wildlife. There are beautiful picnic spots and a cafe. You can also try various watersports, including sailing and canoeing. However, please note there is no fishing.
Do you want estate management in Brent?
Finefair Ltd can provide fantastic services for investors and landlords, such as guaranteed rent and portfolio reviews. A great thing here is we can include management and maintenance too. They can save you money and take care of your assets. It can give you a neat package that takes care of everything.
A wonderful option is to choose estate management in Brent and other areas. Estates can be tricky to manage, but we can do it. So, get in touch today and learn more.
