Otterhead Lakes

Otterhead Lakes
Location	Otterford, Somerset, England
Coordinates	50°55′08″N 3°06′16″W / 50.91889°N 3.10444°W / 50.91889; -3.10444Coordinates: 50°55′08″N 3°06′16″W / 50.91889°N 3.10444°W / 50.91889; -3.10444
Primary inflows	River Otter
Primary outflows	River Otter
Built	1850s

Otterhead Lakes are a pair of reservoirs in the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty south of Otterford in Somerset, England. They are fed by the River Otter and managed by the Otterhead Estate Trust Company Limited, working with the Somerset Wildlife Trust on behalf of Wessex Water.^[1] It was registered as a BBC Breathing Place during 2008.^[2]

The two lakes which remain are all that are left of a series of pools in the landscaped gardens of Otterhead House which was built in 1845 and demolished in 1952,^[3] and its surrounding estate developed by William Beadon.^[4] The lakes are the centrepiece of the one mile long^[5] Otterhead Local Nature Reserve which includes dry woodland which has a ground flora including Common Bluebell, Dogs mercury and Twayblade. More moist areas are home to Marsh Penywart and Royal fern Rhododendron and Sycamore. These areas support a wide range of animal and bird species,^[6] such as Kingfisher, Dipper and Wagtail.^[7]

The lakes contain wild brown trout and are used for fly fishing. ^[8]

References

1. ^ "Otterhead Lakes". Wessex Water. http://www.wessexwater.co.uk/recreation/threecol.aspx?id=542&linkidentifier=id&itemid=542. Retrieved 19 November 2010. 
2. ^ "The Otterhead Estate Trust Company Limited - Otterford, Somerset". UK villages. http://www.ukvillages.co.uk/Content/Show/7965/The+Otterhead+Estate+Trust+Company+Limited. Retrieved 19 November 2010. 
3. ^ "Otterford and Otterhead Lakes". Neroche. http://www.nerochescheme.org/trail.php?id=16. Retrieved 19 November 2010. 
4. ^ "Otterhead Lakes Local Nature Reserve The Heritage of a Victorian Estate" (PDF). Taunton Deane Council. http://www.tauntondeane.gov.uk/irj/go/km/docs/CouncilDocuments/TDBC/Documents/Heritage%20and%20Landscape/20080701OtterheadLakeHeritage.pdf. Retrieved 19 November 2010. 
5. ^ "About Otterhead Estate & Lakes". Pictures of England. http://www.picturesofengland.com/England/Somerset/Churchstanton/Otterhead_Estate_&_Lakes/article/1073. Retrieved 19 November 2010. 
6. ^ "LNRs in Taunton Deane". Natural England. http://www.english-nature.org.uk/special/lnr/lnr_projects_details.asp?ID=161. Retrieved 19 November 2010. 
7. ^ "Otterhead Lakes". Taunton Deane Council. http://www.tauntondeane.gov.uk/irj/public/services/directory/location?rid=/wpccontent/Sites/TDBC/Web%20Pages/Services/Locations/Otterhead%20Lakes. Retrieved 19 November 2010. 
8. ^ "Otterhead Lakes". Tainton fly fishing club. http://www.tauntonflyfishing.co.uk/html/otterhead_lakes.html. Retrieved 19 November 2010.