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Whittle Dene is a series of seven small reservoirs owned by Northumbrian Water Link

They are the southernmost in a water supply chain that starts with Catcleugh Reservoir close to the England - Scotland border NT7303. The other reservoirs that form the chain, connected by aqueducts and tunnels Link roughly following the line of the A68, are Colt Crag NY9378, Little Swinburne NY9477 and Hallington Reservoirs NY9676. Together they supply water for domestic and industrial use on Tyneside and some outlying settlements.

The Whittle Dene complex was completed between 1848 and 1888, Catcleugh in 1906. The maximum depth is 11m, the surface area 17 hectares with a shoreline of 1.6km. Some 25 million gallons of water are supplied daily via the adjacent treatment works.

The Great Northern Reservoir at Whittle Dene is managed as a nature reserve. The other areas are used for fishing.

Photos of Whittle Dene: Link
Wikipedia: Link
Northumbrian Water (pdf): Link