Shearwater (lake)

Shearwater
Shear Water
Shearwater is located in Wiltshire
Shearwater
Shearwater
LocationWiltshire
Coordinates51°10′41″N 2°12′40″W / 51.178°N 2.211°W / 51.178; -2.211
EtymologyCarp
Primary inflowsStreams
Primary outflowsRiver Wylye
BuiltLate 18c
Construction engineerFrances Egerton
Websitewww.longleat.co.uk/fishing

Shearwater (or Shear Water) is a man-made freshwater lake near Crockerton village, about 2+14 miles (3.6 km) southwest of the town of Warminster in Wiltshire, England. The lake is formed from a tributary of the River Wylye.[1]

It is within the Longleat Estate (which also contains a Safari Park) and is one of five lakes of various sizes. Shearwater Lake, the largest, was created at the end of the 18th century, and designed by the 3rd Duke of Bridgwater, Francis Egerton.[citation needed] It is fed by streams dammed by the then Marquis of Bath. The lake is surrounded by mature woodland and is popular with anglers, walkers (especially those with dogs), runners, and cyclists.

It is about 650 yards long. There is a tea-room at Bargate Cottage which accepts dogs inside.[2]

The Shearwater Sailing Club has a boathouse and a variety of dinghies on the lake, the largest being sixteen feet (4.88 meters) in length.[3]

  1. ^ "Wylye (Headwaters)". Environment Agency - Catchment Data Explorer. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  2. ^ J. J. Wheeler, 50 Classic Cycle Climbs: The Bristol-Bath Region (2016), p. 128
  3. ^ Shearwater Sailing Club at shearwatersailingclub.co.uk