Blue Lake

Originally known as Hanging Stone Dam it became known as Blue Lake because of the blueish tinge it had from salts washing out of the alum shales. But after a day’s rain, there was no sign of any blue tonight. It was built in 1880 by Sir Joseph Whitwell Pease to provide water power for his Home Farm just downstream. This it did until the 1950s but by the turn of the century, Blue Lake had become a swamp. Restoration work in 2004/5 by local volunteers somewhat returned it to its former glory.