SPECIAL guided tours – and cake – have featured as part of the celebrations marking 120 years since the official opening of the Elan Valley reservoirs.
The project to supply water to Birmingham was officially opened by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra on July 21, 1904, with the milestone occasion additionally marked by the Elan Valley estate this weekend.
The guided tours offered a unique insight into the rich history and incredible landscapes of the area.
The bank holiday weekend also opened up opportunities for the public to interact with Welsh craftsmen at various pop-up stalls.
The Elan Valley was identified as the perfect place to save the city of Birmingham in the last 19th century – which was in desperate need of a clean water supply due to the boom of the industrial revolution.
Joseph Chamberlain, father of future-prime minister Neville Chamberlain, was elected mayor of Birmingham in 1873, and he became aware he needed to get clean water to it in order to save its people – who were becoming ill from dysentery and diarrhoea due to the city’s small rivers, which had quickly become polluted.
The Elan Valley was identified by the Birmingham Corporation Water Department, which acquired it via a compulsory purchase following an 1892 Act of Parliament.
While good news for Birmingham’s residents, it was bad new for locals. Two large manor houses and about 44 properties were demolished, including 18 farms, a small mill, a school and a church.
About 100 people had to move and while landowners received a small amount of compensation, others who were tenant farmers received nothing.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here