Changes to access and fishing at Grassholme Reservoir
Investment work at Grassholme Reservoir will take place this year, delivering improvements for visitors and users, including anglers, sailors and watersports enthusiasts.
During the course of the work, heavy plant movements and fluctuating water levels will require restrictions of access for the public throughout that period.
Walking routes will be restricted, in particular access to the dam crest, and these will be clearly signposted and advertised. Many other routes will still be available to use safely.
While the Grassholme Reservoir Visitor Centre will remain open and manned by Waterside Park Rangers for information and to sell fishing equipment and permits for use on other sites, angling will be moved to nearby Hury Reservoir for the 2020 season.
All of Grassholme’s fish stock for 2020 will transfer to Hury Reservoir, normally only used for fly fishing, which will become a site for all method angling throughout the year. While self-service permits will be available at Hury, normal permits can be bought at Grassholme, where anglers will also be able to record visits as part of Northumbrian Water’s loyalty scheme.
The work is part of a £12m programme of upgrades at the site, and will increase the resilience of the reservoir and help to protect the Victorian dam wall during extreme flooding, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.
Leisure upgrades are also planned subject to planning and will include improved disabled facilities for fishing, a new beach for anglers on the south shore, and, for the first time, sailing and angling will be separated.
Improvements will also be made to facilities currently used by the Teesdale Sailing and Watersports Club, with new boat launch and parking facilities.
The work complements other planned developments, including a planned observatory, which will help turn Grassholme Reservoir into a key multi-purpose leisure destination.
We’re sure that the changes and restrictions we put in place for 2020, for the safety of all visitors, will be worthwhile because of the improvements that people will see when it re-opens in 2021 and we thank visitors for their patience while the work takes place.
The work planned for 2020 is part of ongoing investment in this area in line with the site’s most recent ten-yearly assessment by government inspectors.
The company has worked with statutory bodies, investing considerable time and effort, including surveys and consultations, into developing the plans, which meet the requirements outlined in the site’s latest Government reservoir inspection.
