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We think the former water treatment works below Thornton Moor reservoir in Oxenhope could be perfectly re-purposed as The Yorkshire Swim Works.
We are in discussion with the landowners to secure tenure and access of this 7-acre site, rich in heritage. We would like to protect the cultural significance of this site.
Yorkshire was once the heartland of the textile industry in England, and many of its mills were powered by reservoirs that supplied water to waterwheels or turbines. The Victorian treatment works created clean drinking water for the mill workers who lived in the surrounding towns of Leeming and Oxenhope.
The site is at the intersection of The Pennine Way, The Bronte Way, The Millennium Way and the Calder Aire Link. Cyclists and hikers, residents and tourists are already enjoying this unique and beautiful natural place. The moorland’s wildlife heritage is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including rare and endangered species such as the black grouse and curlew.
The Yorkshire Swim Works aims to become one of the first naturally filtered public swimming pools in the UK, integrating nature, sport and wellbeing in a facility that is more common in Scandinavia and Europe.
Thornton Moor is associated with the Bronte sisters, who grew up in the nearby village of Haworth and were inspired by the rugged beauty of the moors to create some of their most famous works, including Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.
We aim to become a national treasure in the heart of Yorkshire, meeting criteria as set out in the Bradford Council Plan for Better Health, Better Lives + Safe, Strong and Active Communities.
~ Caroline Kindy