Old Warke Dam

Old Warke Dam is a manmade reservoir in Worsley Woods, Salford. It was constructed in 1760 to provide a head of water for the Bridgewater Canal and later to power downstream flour mills. The layout of the Dam today was further influenced by work in the middle of the 19th century to provide a private boating and fishing lake for the 1st Earl of Ellesmere. Following a campaign in the 1950’s by the local community to protect the area Worsley Woods, including the Dam, was purchased by the city council. Old Warke Dam is a Site of Biological Importance (SBI), containing wet woodland and eutrophic standing water, both UK priority habitats. Worsley Woods, where the Dam is located, is a strategic semi-natural greenspace, a local beauty spot and recreation resource for the wider community of Salford.The overall aim of the project is to enhance the historic landscape of the Dam, improve access and views of the Dam and interpret the heritage, flora and fauna of the site to increase its usage for leisure and learning.