Chew Valley Lake is Bristol Water’s biggest lake with a perimeter of some ten miles and a total capacity of a 20,000 million litres. Construction of the lake started in November 1950, it took just over five years to complete. Sixteen farm houses, eleven other houses and 2,000 acres (480 hectares) of land were bought up and drowned by the rising waters and three and a half miles of road were diverted or widened.

The lake was built to provide water for Bristol. Water is pumped to the Barrow treatment works on the outskirts of Bristol which supplies much of the southern part of the city. The lake also supplies water to areas like Shepton Mallet, via the nearby Stowey Treatment works.

This constant draining of the water for treatment and the subsequent replenishment by the rain means the lake’s water level varies throughout the year, the one visible clue, along with the dam, to its real purpose as a reservoir. But for visitors and users of the lake, Chew is so much more than just a drinking water supply.

In this section you can find out about the various leisure and recreational facilities the lake has to offer from fishing and sailing to eating out, nature walks and bird watching.