Chew Valley Lake in Somerset. Work began on this man-made reservoir in November 1950
and on
24th June 1953 the valve controlling the outlet of water was closed, thereby bringing the
reservoir into
service. Work on the reservoir was completed in 1955 and it was inaugurated by
Queen Elizabeth II on
17th April 1956. The reservoir holds some 4,500 million gallons of water
and is fed by the River Chew,
which rises in nearby Chewton Mendip. It occupies an area
of 1,200 acres. The village of Moreton
and several farms lie beneath the water.