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Watergrove
To the north of the village of Wardle is the largest reservoir in the area, supplying Rochdale with water that runs down the Pennine slopes. The name of the reservoir is Watergrove, named after the largest of the hamlets that were drowned when the reservoir was constructed in the 1930's.
There is evidence in this area of settlements as far back as the prehistoric period. These hunter-gatherer types gradually settled in this wild area using the natural resources readily available to them. Due to the plentiful water supply in the area small communities built based on quarrying, coal mining, agriculture (sheep) and early textile trades. Several tracks cross the area linking other local hamlets such as Marl'd Earth, Little Town, Alder Bank and Roads. No mention, as you see of the name Watergrove. In fact there is no documented evidence of the name Watergrove until 1851 when Mary Clayton, a cotton manufacturer who employed 40 people is listed as living in Watergrove. She did not, however, own Watergrove Mill which was not built until the late 1850's. The name of Watergrove only seams to have appeared after the Claytons arrived in the area from Blackburn, but it soon became applied to the area surrounding the mill and also to the group of cottages at Lower Marl'd Earth.
The village was steadily evolving, in 1857 the Watergrove United Methodist Free Church was established and three years later Watergrove Terrace was built. A new cotton mill was erected by John Stott & Co. Then in 1881, to complete the village, The Orchard Inn opened for business.
The village continued to exist in its own right until 1930 when the decision was made to create a new reservoir to supply Rochdale. The reservoir was officially opened in 1935 leaving Watergrove and the other Hamlets under 720 million gallons of water.
Left : Watergrove Village 1930. Right: Aerial View of the coverage of the reservoir
Left: Orchard Inn Gun Club 1910. Right: Watergrove Street about 1910.
During the summer of 1984 there was, surprisingly for Rochdale, a drought. This left the water levels in Watergrove very low exposing some of the remains of Watergrove village. Below are some photographs from that year with a key and a small map of where the pictures were taken from.
Some excellent photographs of Watergrove Reservoir and the surounding moors can be found on the Wardle 2000 Website by clicking here