Little Swinburne Reservoir
Little Swinburne Reservoir is a small reservoir in Northumberland, England less than northeast of the A68 road, and about north of Corbridge. The A68 road generally follows the course of Dere Street, a Roman road, but has deviated at this point a little to the east, to facilitate a bridge crossing of the Swin Burn. History The reservoir was built at the end of the 19th century for the Newcastle and Gateshead Water Company. The reservoir forms part of a series of reservoirs along the A68 which are connected by tunnels and aqueducts from Catcleugh Reservoir to Whittle Dene; from where drinking water is supplied to Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, and some surrounding areas. The reservoirs that form the chain are, from northwest to southeast: Catcleugh Reservoir → Colt Crag Reservoir → Little Swinburne Reservoir → Hallington Reservoirs → Whittle Dene. The first proposals for a reservoir on the Swin Burn were submitted to Parliament in 1854 by the Whittle Dean Water Company. They needed additional sources of pure water, highlighted by a disastrous outbreak of cholera in Newcastle and Gateshead in 1853, from which 1,527 people died. Their bill included provision for the building of an aqueduct which would