The Victorian beauty of Lake Vyrnwy ....

Do you sometimes find yourself stopping & thinking 'WOW'?

Our local newspaper reported that Lake Vyrnwy in Mid Wales was releasing water over the spillway after the heavy rain we have had, so we headed out to the beautiful Welsh hills to see it for ourselves.

It was not my first visit there, but on a dull, mid-week day, I was hoping it would not be as busy as the previous time.

We were not disappointed - the recent rain had filled up the lake & there was a magnificent sight of white water flowing over the spillway ...

The dam was built in the 1880's by the Victorians out of grey Welsh stone & it fits perfectly into the surrounding countryside.

Instead of going for something that was purely functional, the Victorians built something that is so beautiful & detailed with its lovely stone turrets, a wide bridge with view points, beautiful arches & views.

We walked across the bridge then down to the bottom of the spillway to gaze up at the cascading water - a fantastic sight & sound with the arches & gushing water.

There is a beautiful wooden sculpture park at the base - a perfect place to appreciate the structure.

How lovely is this detail in stone?

The lovely detail which is over 100 years old ...

Like a ghost appearing through the trees, the grey solidness of the stone dam

Then naturally, I had to take photos of some of the fences on our walk ...

Ivy clad fence posts - beautifully aged & returning to nature

This gorgeous sheep posing behind a wire fence

 

The curved fence railings along the road ...

From the dam wall, you glimpse my favourite structure; it seems out of place in the Welsh countryside, it looks as if it belongs in the Bavarian hills or the fairy tale of Rapunsel ...

The stunning Gothic water straining tower.

Approximately 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) from the dam is the reservoir's straining tower. Standing only 30 metres (98 ft) from the shore, its purpose is to filter or strain out material in the water with a fine metal mesh, before the water flows along the aqueduct to Liverpool. Its architecture represents Gothic revival, built at the same time as the dam. The tower as a whole is 63 metres (207 ft) tall, 15 metres (49 ft) of which is underwater. The other 48 metres (157 ft) is above water, and is topped with a pointed copper-clad roof, which makes it look light green.

The victorians could have built a very boring tower to filter the water before it is sent on its way to Liverpool but, instead they created this thing of beauty to do a functional job.

The copper clad roof is a beautiful green colour that just shimmers in the light & it is easily one of my favourite structures ...

I am in awe of the craftmanship at Lake Vyrnwy; a functional dam & tower that have stood the test of time & that we still admire today. That surely is a reflection on that time.

Do you have a favourite structure or place that has the WOW factor?

Thanks for stopping by, always pleased to have your company,
Dee ~♥~