History of the Huddersfield Water Supplies
By T. W. Woodhead

CHAPTER VI - UNDERGROUND WATER SUPPLIES.

BORE HOLES - ISLE OF SKYE BORE-HOLE. WESSENDEN HEAD.

This bore-hole is situated near the Huddersfield – Greenfield Road, 600 yards west of the Isle of Skye Hotel, at an elevation of 1,525 feet. O.D., and on April 9th, 1929, the tender of Andrew D. Blaydon, Ltd., was accepted for its construction. The bore-hole is sunk from the Readycon Dean Series of the Middle Grits into the Lower Kinderscout Grits.

Commencing with a diameter of 24 ½ inches, on reaching 43 feet it continues at 22 inches down to a depth of 115 feet, to this depth the bore-hole is lined with solid tubing ; then it is reduced to 20 inches in the Kinderscout Grits, where it continues to a depth of 490 feet. Here the drill became jammed in the bore-hole and great difficulty was experienced in dealing with it. After much delay it was decided to engage another contractor, and at a meeting on May 10th, 1932, it was resolved “ that Thos. Matthews Ltd. Be engaged to recover the drill jammed in the bore-hole, and to sink the shaft to a greater depth.”

At the depth of 490 feet the borehole was reduced to 12 ½ inches, and at 523 feet to 11 5/8 inches. Here broken grit was encountered and after clearing the bore-hole, a perforated tube was inserted, 29 feet 6 inches long, to protect the sides and allow free entrance of water to the bore-hole. The bore-hole terminates in a shale bind at a depth of 680 feet. Boring ceased July, 1933.

At a depth of 245 ¼ feet, a five foot adit or gallery, a quarter of a mile long was driven from the bore-hole to the tail end of Wessenden Head Reservoir. The construction of the adit was commenced January, 1931, and in August a concrete bottom was constructed, the sides walled and the roof supported. It was completed December, 1932.

Water from the borehole is conveyed through the adit by means of a 12 inch pipe to its exit near the reservoir and is then continued to the Deerhill Catchwater which commences near the overflow of the Wessenden Head Reservoir, and gives off a branch to Blackmoorfoot. The water may also be conveyed as required to the old Wessenden Old Reservoir.

The yield from this borehole is 90,000 gallons a day. In 1934 a Pump House was erected and on September 24th of that year, at a depth of 500 feet, an air-lift pump was installed in which compressed air passes through a set of nozzles at the lower end of a rising main below the water level, the water becomes emulsified, ascends the rising main and passes out through the adit. By pumping a yield of more than 275,000 gallons a day is obtained. Behind the pump house, a reinforced concrete tank and a cooling tower have been erected. The yield from this bore-hole during the drought of 1934 was :-

The average quantity pumped over this period was 11,937 gallons per hour.

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