Cheddar Reservoir

Cheddar Reservoir
A lake at sunset
at dusk looking towards the western edge of the Mendip Hills and Crook Peak
Cheddar Reservoir is located in Somerset
Cheddar Reservoir
Cheddar Reservoir
LocationSomerset
Coordinates51°16′50″N 2°48′5″W / 51.28056°N 2.80139°W / 51.28056; -2.80139
Typereservoir
Primary inflowsinlet from Cheddar Yeo
Basin countriesUnited Kingdom
Surface area105.4 ha (260 acres)
Cheddar Reservoir
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Cheddar Reservoir is located in Somerset
Cheddar Reservoir
Location within Somerset
LocationSomerset
Grid referenceST441537
Coordinates51°16′50″N 2°48′05″W / 51.2806°N 2.8014°W / 51.2806; -2.8014
InterestBiological
Area105.4 hectares (1.054 km2; 0.407 sq mi)
Notification1972 (1972)
Natural England website

Cheddar Reservoir is an artificial reservoir in Somerset, England, operated by Bristol Water. Dating from the 1930s it has a capacity of 1350 million gallons (6,140,000 cubic metres). The reservoir is supplied with water taken from the Cheddar Yeo river in Cheddar Gorge. The inlet grate for the 54 inches (1.4 m) water pipe that is used to transport the water can be seen immediately upstream from the sensory garden in Cheddar Gorge. It lies to the west of the village of Cheddar and south east of the town of Axbridge. Because of this it is sometimes known as Axbridge Reservoir. It is roughly circular in shape, and surrounded by large earth banks which are grazed by sheep.