The North Derbyshire Water Board Order 1962 was the enabling legislation
for the creation of a new body covering the northern area of the County
to encompass the principal towns of Chesterfield, Bakewell and Buxton. The
existing water supply undertakings of Chesterfield, Bolsover and Clowne
Water Board, North East Derbyshire Joint Water Committee, the Urban and
District Councils of Bakewell and Buxton together with Chapel-en-le-Frith
RDC were assimilated into this new statutory body which initially had a
population of 314,000 spread over a mainly rural area of 450 square miles.
Preparations for this major re-organisation came at a difficult time for
the water supply industry as the winter of 1962/63 gave rise to a sustained
period of record sub zero temperatures from December through to March when
the ground was frozen solid to a depth in excess of twelve inches. This
necessitated virtual round the clock working by staff and workmen to restore
supplies to many households and businesses.
The North Derbyshire Water Board’s principal office and depot was
originally established at New Beetwell Street in Chesterfield with some
finance staff based in the outlying suburb of Whittington Moor. Sub-offices/depots
were set up at Bolsover and Eckington for the Chesterfield area; at Ashford-in-the-Water
(on the banks of the River Wye) and King Street Bakewell for the Bakewell
area and at Gadley Lane Buxton and Chapel-en-le-Frith to serve the Buxton
area.
The new Board (with its members being drawn from the constituent authorities)
became responsible for the supply and distribution of water to the whole
of North Derbyshire north of Matlock and Darley Dale with one notable exception.
The village of Youlgrave for many years had had its own private water supply
derived from local spring and river sources operated by the Youlgrave Waterworks
Company. The Company opted to maintain its independent operation that has
continued to the present day. The original stone water supply tank, dated
1829, is still prominently displayed in the centre of the village.
Shortly after the formation of the North Derbyshire Water Board, staff in
the Chesterfield area moved to a relatively modern office building at West
Street, Chesterfield and a larger works depot was acquired at Brimington
Road, Chesterfield. The West Street office also included an adjacent older
office block which was aptly known as Reservoir House. This being on the
site of the first water supply tank for Chesterfield when the Chesterfield
Waterworks and Gaslight Company, which was founded in 1825, dammed the Holme
Brook with a masonry weir in order to pipe fresh water by gravity to the
storage tank. This system was superseded when the Linacre reservoirs (a
series of three cascading reservoirs to the NW of Chesterfield) were constructed
between 1854 and 1911.
Barbrook impounding reservoir, which was built in 1910 on Big Moor near
Owler Bar, to supply northern Chesterfield had its own treatment works below
the dam. A diesel generator on site provided electricity to the works and
adjacent house. Owing to its remote high level location the Superintendent
often had to light fires in the outlet tunnel in winter to stop the system
from freezing up. Barbrook also fed into Little Barbrook (about a mile downstream)
and nearby Ramsley reservoir which supplied water to Crowhole Reservoir
and Smeekley Treatment Works where the treatment was fairly rudimentary
and consisted mainly of removing iron as the water passed through open trays.
Further downstream on the outskirts of Chesterfield, Barlow Treatment Works
provided conventional water treatment.
South of Chesterfield, Ogston Reservoir, which was constructed in 1958 to
supply the new NCB Carbonisation Plant at Wingerworth, became the principal
source of supply when its operational capacity was boosted in the late 1960s
by additional abstraction from the River Derwent at Ambergate. This augmented
the supply to the Chesterfield area and eventually the Linacre Reservoirs
were taken out of service.
The NE sector of the Board’s area received its water from continuous
underground pumping of the bunter sandstone and magnesian limestone strata
at Manton Colliery. This was piped to Lowtown Treatment Works near Worksop
before being pumped to Barlborough to a service reservoir and egg cup shaped
steel water tower (known locally as the Tank). There was also a water tower
at Hillstown which was fed from the Bolsovermoor Borehole and Treatment
Works.
In the Bakewell area the water supply for many years had been derived from
small spring and borehole sources serving individual towns and villages.
In 1953 Bakewell RDC commenced its “Area Water Scheme” to improve
and upgrade these sources. One notable example being the construction of
a new pumping station on Sir William Hill Road above Grindleford in which
a mechanical three throw ram pump (that could be heard from fifty yards
away) delivered Derwent Valley water for storage on Eyam Moor. More recently
its replacement by an electric motor has restored the air of tranquillity
back to this area. The small local sources were gradually replaced by NDWB
over the next few years by taking additional feeds from the Derwent Valley
Aqueduct which conveniently runs through the spine of the Bakewell area.
Buxton benefited from the surrounding uplands which provided gathering grounds
for two impounding reservoirs. Stanley Moor, of rectangular design, being
sited to the south of the town with its associated treatment works about
a mile away off the Grin Low road; and to the north were the Lightwood Reservoirs
(two in tandem) with an onsite treatment works.
The North Derbyshire Water Board was dissolved by virtue of the Water Act
1973 to be re-formed as the North Derbyshire Water Supply Division of Severn
Trent Water on 1 April 1974. During the latter years of NDWB its dual management
structure was as follows:-
ENGINERING
- Charles Crombie Engineer & Manager
- Peter Davey Deputy Engineer & Manager
- Paul Medley New Works Engineer
- Alan Whetton Supplies Engineer
- John Jepson Chemist & Bacteriologist
- John King Work Study Officer
FINANCE
- Colin Bright Clerk & Treasurer
- David Vasey Deputy Clerk & Treasurer
- Ken Alsop Revenue Accountant
- Jim Drennan Management Accountant
- Travis Walker Internal Audit & Data Processing Manager
- Duncan Corden Quasi Legal & Administrative Officer
The total number of monthly paid staff at this time was about 105 together
with approximately 140 hourly paid staff. The names of some of these staff
(by no means an exclusive list) were:-
Chesterfield area based
Bob Porter, Adrian Bacon, George Bacon, Mervyn Bray, John Galloway, Brian
Marriott, Peter Robinson, Alf Bush, Heather Bush, Harry Smith, Colin Staniforth,
Eddie Constantine, Peter Meadows, Cec Bourne, Hartley French, Roy George,
Dick Senior, Mick Blakemore, Jim Mart, Dennis Smith, Chris White, Derek
Lees, Bob Shaw, Maurice Rowland, Mick Hydes, Bill Gullick, Keith Sanderson,
Michael Tranter, Andrew Beaumont, Maynard Stephens, Les Hill, Charlie Brooks,
Arthur Penney, Frank Berrisford, Ernest Battersby, Cyril Jones, John Booth,
Steve Hill, Peter Speed, John Maloney, Roy Dann, Keith Clarke, Dave Thurman,
Ken Fox, Roy Mulcaster, Cliff Brothwell, Gordon Wheatcroft, Fred Bunton,
Jean Langley, Pat Bown, Kath Bolton, Susan Morton, Ernest Bown, Roger Ashton,
Malcolm Riley, Graham Wholey, Adrian Whitely, Tony Bird, Eleanor Wake,
Alan Wilson, Bill Chapman, Arthur Lilley, Alf Green, Frank Dudley, Harold
Vernon, Mick Cannon, Bill Thompson, Malcolm Downing, Dave Browett, Eric
Jones, Walter Maskerey, Carl Swift, Alan Hardy, Stuart Hardy, Reuben Boler,
Bob Boler, Roy Redfearn, Trevor Finch, Barry Wright, Jim Matchett, Ken Adlington,
Terry Mather, Ray Machin, John Severn, Les Lindley, Dave Carlin, Robin Holmes,
John Adams, Dave Meakin, Eric Crooks, Harold Peters, Denby Rowland, Ray
Cooper.
Bakewell area
Roy Watson (& Buxton), Derek Brightmore, Charles Pykett, Madge Crawshaw,
John Palethorpe, Ray Lawrence, Gerald Stafford (died in service), Vernon
Harrison, Tim Pheasey, George Eaton, Arthur Eyre, Charlie Bright, Geoff
Brightmore.
Buxton area
Tom Taylor, Geoff Richardson (died in service), Stan Mottram, John Williams,
Chris Palmer, Ian Titterton, Ian Daniel, Daphne Woodman, Maureen Lee, Bob
Percival, Cliff Percival, Bill Percival, Geoff Grimshaw, Ron Barton, George
Mitchell, Peter Nadin.
This article has been written by John King based upon his personal recollections
whilst in the employment of North Derbyshire Water Board. Any additions
or amendments would be appreciated.
May 2015
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