Ok, so Chew Valley Lake isn't Cologne's Photokina or Nuremburg's IWA but can you think of a better location for trying out the latest in optics from some of the worlds finest manufacturers including of course SWAROVSKI

The Bristol and Bath London Camera Exchange shops have teamed up to host several product/birding days through the year. Supported by the reps' and agents of the top UK importers, these days promise to be of interest to customers wishing to buy, replace or upgrade binoculars and telescopes. Of course you can just look! With ample car parking, a great visitor centre, shop and restaurant, the site with its superb views over the lake makes Chew Valley probably one of the south wests' premier optical venues.

 

 

Dates for 2006
 1st. Saturday in the month

 

For more information on the above dates or product availability etc. contact;
Philip at LCE Bath
Phone: 01225 462234
email: bath@lcegroup.co.uk

 

 

 


Visitor Centre


A super tea room


A handy gift shop


and some truly wonderful views! The lake also offers birding, fishing and sailing.

 

Creating the Reservoir
Construction of Chew Valley Lake started in November 1950 and took just over five years. Sixteen farmhouses, eleven other houses and 2,000 acres of land were bought up and drowned by the rising waters and three and a half miles of road were diverted or widened.

The biggest part of the project was the dam - 440 yards long and 42 feet high. First a long cuto-off trench was dug along the centre-line of the dam 50 feet below ground level. 12,000 tons of earth were excavated from this trench which was then filled with concrete and clay to provide a waterproof seal. An outlet tunnel was built through the base of the dam to carry water from the lake to the pumping station. A valve tower regulates the outflow of water.

At Heron's Green an embankment was built to carry the diverted Chew Stoke - West Harptree road above the top water level. It also stopped the reservoir from encroaching on nearby low-lying land as the River Chew and its tributaries began to fill the valley in 1953.
Chew Valley Lake is to the South of Bristol and Bath in between the A38 & A37 roads.