Kugel

Next to the main car park at Carsington Water, is the Visitor Centre, with its restaurant, shop and exhibition. Attached, is a small courtyard with a selection of shops and the Kugel Stone.

The Kugel Stone is a one tonne ball of solid granite which has a diameter of 90cm and rests in a socket into which is pumped a thin film of water. The water lubricates the Kugel, holding it suspended just above the socket. The double pump supplies water at two different speeds which combine to create 1.2 bars of pressure (17.5 pounds per square inch) and cause the Kugel to rotate slowly. The force of the water carrying the weight of the stone is such that the Kugel can easily be encouraged to spin by pushing with just one hand. It is normal to see the Kugal surrounded by visitors all waiting their turn to make the heavy ball spin, and fun to see the expressions on the faces of little children when they succeed in moving something so big.

Thinking about it, the movement of the Kugel Stone is clear testimony to the power of water.

Incidentally, Kugel is a German word meaning 'ball' and the one at Carsington is not unique. Similar granite ball fountains are on show at such places as the Kennedy Space Centre (where the sphere is engraved with the Constellations) and the Science Museum of Virginia (which is the largest in the world and resembles a globe). 

The sphere is always honed from granite, but may range in diameter from 1 foot to 10 feet. 

Watersports

Carsington Water also offers plenty of opportunity for watersports, with a dedicated centre. They are approved by the British Canoe Union and the Royal Yacht Association and offer courses in a range of disciplines. This is where Mark came to take his 2 star paddlesport qualification. Next spring, Ben and I intend to follow suit. I really fancy the idea of spending two full days in a kayak, learning new skills and completing a lap of the lake.

From here you can also buy a day fishing ticket or try out the climbing wall. (My boys laugh quietly at the size of the climbing wall, but it's good for the youngsters.)

On a different note, if you didn't see my plea on Saturday, I wonder if I could ask you to consider voting for a blogging friend who has had two photos shortlisted in a Yorkshire Landscapes competition. Click here to see the photograph which she believes is her strongest contender. If you like it, please vote for it. This is her blog, which I thoroughly enjoy reading every day.

Thank you :)

Sunlight by the Water

I loved the way the light was shining through the trees and reflecting off the water.

And it seemed appropriate, on a day when so much is focussed on things of darkness, to post photos which remind us that the light is greater by far than the darkness.

John ch 1 v 4-5

In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Habitats and a hide

As part of the construction of Carsington Water, Severn Trent made full provision for the protection and development of wildlife habitats.

According to the Reservoir website, there have been over 215 species of bird recorded visiting the site and 30 species of mammal, including

Harvest Mice, Water Shrew, Water Vole, Red Deer, Whiskered Bat and evidence of visiting Otters.

http://www.moretoexperience.co.uk/server.php?show=nav.6016

Bat and bird boxes abound...

and all around the Water, Rangers have developed reed beds, wildflower meadows, hedgerows, ponds, woodlands and other habitits specifically designed to attract and provide homes for British wildlife.

In order to educate and involve visitors in conservation, there are information noticeboards around the paths, identifying native species and the habitats they prefer. There is also a Wildlife Centre constructed of wood and held together entirely by the weight of the turf roof; not a nail or bolt in sight. To supplement this, there are hides for watching birds.

By the time we reached this one, the afternoon was passing by and everywhere had become quiet. We spent a very peaceful half hour watching a selection of ducks, geese, cormorants and lapwings while drinking coffee and munching Jelly Babies.

Normally, the water level is higher and laps almost up to the hide, but the early summer was very dry this year and the Reservoir is still recovering.

The windows open, so we were able to look down the Water and enjoy the changing light.

It was very peaceful.

Spot the sheep

These sheep were grazing in the pastures alongside Carsington Water. I think the breed is a Jacob.

Apart from being uncommonly attractive, Jacob sheep have a number of attributes which make them good livestock. They are hardy, overwintering outside and being resistant to many of the diseases which commonly afflict sheep; they are prolific breeders with a high lamb survival rate and good mothering instincts and they also produce high quality wool which is excellent for spinning and weaving.

Personally, I just want to pick one up and cuddle it!

Carsington Water

Officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1992, Carsington Water, 16 miles north of Derby, is the ninth largest reservoir in Britain with a capacity of 7,800 million gallons. That's enough water to keep one person supplied for 500,000 years. It's deepest point is equivalent to seven double decker busses (31m) and the surface area comparable to the area covered by 700 football pitches. It is possible to walk the perimeter of the Water on paths and tracks; a total distance of around eight miles.

The reservoir was constructed to boost the storage capacity of the East Midlands area of the Severn Trent Water Authority by 10%, and currently supplies water to three million people across three counties. It does this by drawing water from the River Derwent during times of high rainfall and returning water to the river when levels drop. The water for treatment and drinking is actually taken from the Derwent. Carsington acts as a giant regulator.

Thinking back, it seems odd to remember a time when the Reservoir was not here, but it is actually still relatively new. Its advent has made a significant impact on the area, bringing in large numbers of people who would never have come here before the Water was constructed. There is something about a body of water which draws people in.

Unlike some other reservoirs, this construction did not require the moving of any settlements; only the demolition of two farm buildings, a fact which was part of the rational for the choice of site. Oddly enough, some of the land submerged belonged to my uncle and aunt's dairy farm (though the farm itself was above the water line) and I remember helping to pull up yarrow from the pasture in preparation for the cows being moved in to graze. (Yarrow will make a cow's milk taste bitter). I always find it slightly weird to think that I have walked on land which is now submerged in so much water. 

Tower Windmill

In 1964, the River Dove Water Board created Staunton Harold Reservoir to provide the city of  Leicester with drinking water. Now managed by Severn Trent Water, it is set in an area of pleasant countryside and boasts three sites of Special Scientific Interest.

It also boasts this tower.

As its name suggests, Tower Windmill was once a working mill. Dating from 1798, the windmill was built by the first Lord Melbourne at a cost of £250 to grind local grain. This style of windmill was developed in the C18th and featured a domed top to which the sails were attached. The dome was designed to revolve, in order to take advantage of the wind irrespective of the direction from which it was blowing. The turning of the sail powered a series of gears, which in turn drove the millstones which ground the grain.

Grain continued to be milled here until the late C19th, when the windmill became disused and gradually fell into disrepair. When the new reservoir was constructed, it was planned to convert the tower into a viewing platform overlooking the water, but the building was found to be unsuitable and the conversion was never completed.