How many reservoirs are in the Wessenden Valley?

There are four reservoirs: Butterley, Blakeley, Wessenden, and Wessenden Head. They're arranged in sequence climbing up the valley, with Butterley being the lowest and Wessenden Head the highest.

Did the Wessenden reservoirs supply water to Bradford?

No, that's a myth. The Wessenden chain supplied local mills and Huddersfield—Bradford built its own reservoirs in a completely different watershed that drained towards the River Aire.

Can you walk around the Wessenden reservoirs?

Yes, there's a well-trodden walking path from Marsden that takes you past all four reservoirs in turn. It's a steady climb with good moorland views, and you can continue to Wessenden Head or strike out onto the wider moorland beyond.

The Pennine Reservoirs

The Wessenden Valley Chain: Four Reservoirs Built for Mills and Huddersfield

Wessenden, Wessenden Head, Blakeley, and Butterley reservoirs climb the valley in stepped sequence, built between 1870 and 1908 to supply local textile mills and Huddersfield's growing demand. The chain never fed Bradford by gravity over fourteen miles; it served a different watershed entirely.

26 August 20267 min read