Black Moss Reservoirs

There are two reservoirs at Black Moss, in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Upper Black Moss, was built first, with the larger Lower Black Moss finished nine years later. Their job was to help give hard-working people in the booming town of Nelson a safe, clean, healthy supply of drinking water.

Nineteenth century Nelson was not a place to go drinking. The demand for textiles meant its mills were booming, and so was its population. But in the mid 1800s most of the townsfolk water came from Walverden Stream, which is also where their sewage went.

Nelson’s town fathers began building reservoirs in the nearby hills. Black Moss was built in 1894 and 1903 and also supplied part of the village of Barley.

United Utilities doesn’t use Black Moss water for drinking at the moment, because there are better and more abundant sources of water nearby.

But Black Moss is still a very important part of our drinking water supply. Why? Well, we use it to keep local streams like Pendle Water topped up. That means we can keep more of the water we gather in other places without affecting the environment. This type of reservoir is called a compensation reservoir, because the water it puts back into the environment compensates for what we need to take out to drink.

Lower Black Moss Reservoir

Upper Black Moss Reservoir

Local History

Historic monuments near Black Moss Reservoirs

Spigot mortar (Blacker Bombard) position – 9.72 km away
Twiston lime kiln and associated tramway 250m east of Twiston Mill – 3.53 km away
Downham lime kiln and associated lime yard 50m north of Smithfield Farm – 4.86 km away
Northern part of Rimington lead mines, part of a medieval open field system and three limestone clamp kilns 120m south east of Hollins – 3.94 km away
Stock medieval settlement and part of its associated medieval open field system – 8.87 km away
Sawley Cistercian abbey and associated earthworks – 7.02 km away
Bomber Camp Romano-British farmstead and associated enclosure – 6.59 km away
Moated site 50m NE of Holden Green Farm. – 9.72 km away
Bowl barrow 140m east of Beadle Hill – 9.73 km away
Twist Castle Romano-British farmstead – 9.90 km away
Little Painley bowl barrow – 8.75 km away
Beadle Hill Romano-British farmstead – 9.55 km away
Bowl barrow 155m east of Beadle Hill – 9.73 km away
Bowl barrow 90m east of Twist Castle – 9.91 km away
Castercliff small multivallate hillfort – 6.55 km away
Castle Haugh Ringwork, Newsholme – 9.39 km away
Ightenhill Manor (site of) – 7.39 km away
Higherford Old Bridge – 3.76 km away
Paythorne Bridge – 9.92 km away
Oakmount Mill engine and engine house, Wiseman Street – 8.74 km away