History of Bewl Water
In 1946, a new reservoir was thought needed for the Medway towns. To meet this increasing need for water, the government selected the Bewl valley for a new reservoir as it was believed that site would cause the least environment damage compared with other sites. The Medway Water (Bewl Bridge Reservoir) Act 1968 was enacted through a private members bill to give the authorities the necessary powers to construct the site.
Dame Sylvia Crowe DBE, an internationally renowned landscape architect designed the estate landscaping. Work began in 1972. 31,300 million litres of water filled the reservoir. Some buildings were moved to Cousley Wood nearby and the Downland museum in Chichester. The project was completed in 1975 and cost £11 million.
