Thruscross Reservoir

Thruscross Reservoir
File:Thruscross Inlet.jpg
Location	North Yorkshire
Coordinates
Type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Washburn
Primary outflows	Washburn
Basin countries	United Kingdom

Thruscross Reservoir is the northernmost of four reservoirs in the Washburn valley, lying north of Otley and west of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England, near the hamlet of Thruscross. It can be found from the A59 road. Thruscross was completed in 1966, much later than the other three reservoirs which date back to the nineteenth century.

The construction of the reservoir flooded the village of West End, which was already largely derelict following the decline of the flax industry. The remains of a flax mill can be seen at the edge of the reservoir, and more of the village has been revealed at times of drought, such as the summers of 1989 and 1990.

The reservoir is the property of Yorkshire Water, which manages it for the benefit of walkers, anglers and wildlife.

In the novel In a Dry Season by the English-born, Canadian-based crime writer Peter Robinson, the fictional village of Hobb's End, flooded by the creation of the Thornfield Reservoir, is exposed during a drought, leading to the discovery of a body. The geography described by Robinson indicates that he based the location of Hobb's End on the village of West End. The small bridge over the Washburn becomes the 'Fairy Bridge' and the flax mill is mentioned explicitly.

File:Thruscross Dam.jpg

Thruscross Reservoir Dam

External links

• Yorkshire Water - Thruscross
• Yorkshire Water guide to the area immediately surrounding the reservoir