Gaddings Dam: The community owned reservoir home to 'Britain's highest beach'
The group now maintains the 1833 earth embankment dam, which stands on moorland at 1,148 feet above sea-level between Todmorden and Walsden.
It features a triangle of sand on its north-east shore, leading to descriptions of it as ‘Britain’s highest beach’, and it becoming a popular wild simming spot overlooked by the 12.5 MW Todmorden Moor wind farm.
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Hide AdWhile there is no vehicle access to the reservoir, which was built to boost water power in the mills of Lumbutts, it can be reached off the Pennine Way trail.
As well as walkers, the reservoir attracts off-road cyclists wanting to test themselves on the mix of surrounding terrains.
It has been suggested that Jail Hole Quarry, near the dam, was named after the convict labour from Manchester used to construct the reservoir.
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