FEB 06 Question: What Do You Give A Thirsty Liverpudleian?

Answer: A glass of water. As punchlines go its not one of the best but don’t blame me, blame the Victorians.

What on earth am I going on about?……

The Vyrnwy Dam..Rather than telling you what I know about it (and probably getting everything wrong) here’s a snippet from wikipedia:

Lake Vyrnwy Nature Reserve and Estate (Welsh: Llyn Efyrnwy, pronounced [ɛˈvərnʊɨ]) is an area of land in Montgomeryshire, Powys, Wales, surrounding the Victorian reservoir of Lake Vyrnwy. Its stone-built dam, built in the 1880s, was the first of its kind in the world. The Nature Reserve and the area around it are jointly managed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), and Severn Trent Water. It was built for the purpose of supplying Liverpool and Merseyside with fresh water. It flooded the head of the Vyrnwy Valley and submerged the small village of Llanwddyn. Today it is a popular retreat, for people in the West Midlands and Merseyside for days out, and also for ornithologists, cyclists, and hikers. The Reserve is designated as a National Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area, and a Special Area of Conservation.

Most importantly, the place is absolutely beautiful. I took these two shots around this time last year..(on a day when it was possible to get my car off the drive)…

The Highland Cattle are a long way from home… but aren’t they gorgeous?

All Images Copyright Stuart Allan Hyde.