The Drowning of Haweswater, Mardale & Wetsleddale includind the valleys of Martindale, Swindale & Longsleddale

In the late nineteenth century rapidly expanding Manchester needed large quantities of water, which it eventually obtained from the Cumbrian lake of Thirlemere via a largely underground aqueduct. This opened in 1894, but further supplies were needed and were drawn from the dammed lakes of Haweswater and Mardale from 1929. All of these reservoirs involved the drowning of property, notably at Thirlmere, Haweswater and Mardale., although remnants of these can be seen when the water levels are very low.

This is author Ian Tyler's twenty first book on the mining and quarrying history of Cumbria and the northern fells, and here is also includes chapters on the huge Shap granite quarries, and the building of the railway over Shap  in 1842 and the lawlessness of the navvies employed, amongst much more.

In the early chapters in particular Ian's punctuation sometimes is rather odd, I suspect due to information being transcribed from notes made at source, as it were. But most of the book is fine and this is an invaluable addition to Cumbrian literature, recoding many buildings,legends, mines, quarries and other industries.

A4 format. 549 pages. Over 1000 B&W illustrations, 5 maps. Hardback. Recommended - and Heavy!