lining it with concrete, some time prior to 1911. In that year there was another problem when a water main burst at the reservoir. Soon afterwards, there was a partial collapse of the upstream end of the old tunnel, which conveyed water to Whittle Dean. A new shaft was constructed to gain access to the fault. Timber was then used to shore up the affected section, after which it was relined. In 1942 the company board looked at the possibility of constructing a third reservoir at Hallington, and some trial borings were made, but a report in June 1943 suggested that such a reservoir would only yield per day, and that a new reservoir at Kielder would be a better proposition. The company had obtained an Act of Parliament in 1938 for various works, including a pipeline from Barrasford to West Hallington, to enable water to be pumped from the North Tyne, and repairs to the Ryal tunnel and aqueduct. The Barrasford pipeline and pumping station were completed by autumn 1940. The Act had stipulated that all works should be completed by 1945, and with the end of the Second World War in sight, repairs to the tunnel and aqueduct were completed before the deadline passed. Responsibility for the reservoirs passed to the Northumbrian Water Authority in April 1974, as a result of the passing of the Water Act 1973. It then passed to Northumbrian Water when the water industry was privatised in 1989. Flora and fauna The north-western part of Hallington Reservoir East is surrounded by mixed woodland, including evergreen varieties such as Scots pine and larch, with some native deciduous species, such as beech, willow, and sycamore. The dam between the two reservoirs provides habitat for marginal plants, particularly the very rare small-fruited yellow sedge. The reservoirs are used for overwintering by several varieties of wildfowl, including wigeon, teal, and mallard, while during the autumn waders including dunlin, black-headed, and common gulls can be seen in large numbers. The surrounding area still had a population of red squirrels which are seen from time to time, as are otters, badgers, and bats. The aqueduct that feeds into the reservoirs had been colonised by a healthy population of white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes, when a survey was carried out in 2009. Fishing Hallington is fished by many anglers. Bibliography References External links Aerial pictures Fishing information Drinking water reservoirs in England