Reservoirs rarely make the news, but they are the quiet workhorses that keep our canals topped up, so it is worth noting when one gets a major overhaul.
A £7m fix for Wilstone Reservoir
A 14-month programme of statutory safety works at Wilstone Reservoir near Tring in Hertfordshire is now complete. Required under the Reservoir Act, it involved driving 1,400 steel piles into the structure’s 1,350m-long embankments to strengthen them, and repairing the culvert used to draw off water in emergencies. Built in 1802 to supply the Grand Union Canal, Wilstone is today part of the Tring Reservoirs nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest popular with walkers, anglers and bird-watchers. The story was reported in the August 2026 edition of Towpath Talk.
At 119 acres, Wilstone is the largest of the four reservoirs at Tring. It is up to 5.5m deep and holds more than 1,000 mega litres of water — the equivalent of around 450 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The work was carried out by contractor Kier using land-based equipment, so the reservoir did not need to be drained. That meant it could keep supplying the Grand Union Canal last year, helping to keep the canal open for longer during the drought. Public access was improved too, with a resurfaced crest footpath, a resurfaced car park, new steps and nine new seating areas.
Ros Daniels, the Canal & River Trust’s London & South East director, said the works “will secure it for future generations”. Later this year the trust plans a series of biodiversity improvements at the site, including reed bed enhancements and gap planting in its hedgerows.
It is the kind of unglamorous but essential work that keeps the network running, and a reminder of how much a canal depends on the water held quietly behind the scenes.
