Booth Wood Reservoir

Booth Wood Reservoir lies high on the Pennine moors above Ripponden in West Yorkshire, just below the M62 as it crosses the watershed between Lancashire and Yorkshire. Completed in the early 1970s, it was built by Wakefield Corporation to supply drinking water and forms part of a chain of reservoirs that thread across the Ryburn Valley.

The dam itself is an impressive sight, a tall earth embankment holding back deep, dark water set against the open moorland of Rishworth Moor and Saddleworth. A quiet country lane skirts the western shore, with informal lay-bys popular with walkers, photographers and birdwatchers. Curlew, lapwing and red grouse can be heard across the heather in spring and summer, while winter brings a wild, exposed atmosphere as winds sweep down off the tops.

The reservoir links easily with nearby walks around Baitings and Ryburn reservoirs, and the moorland tracks above lead towards the Pennine Way. Together with the dramatic Scammonden valley alongside the motorway, Booth Wood offers a striking and accessible taste of upland West Yorkshire scenery.