Westport Lake is one of the cities Natural Heritage Sites and was designated as a Local Nature Reserve in July 2004.
It is the largest area of open water in the city of Stoke-on-Trent. (
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Westport Lake Nature Reserve is located in a residential area at Longport on the outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent alongside the Trent and Mersey Canal. Until the 1880's the area was farming land with mining from Brownhills Colliery running underneath.
The lake is a legacy of coal mining associated with the area's historic potteries and industrial trade. The lake was formed in 1884 when the workings of the old Brownhills Colliery hit the water table, flooding the tunnels and ground above.
In 1890 it was developed into a pleasure resort by a local farmer, it then descended into a wasteland.
The site was opened by Prime Minister Ted Heath in 1972, a prime example of turning an industrial wasteland into a pleasant centre for open-air recreation within an urban community, and has proven to be one of the city’s most popular and enduring regeneration projects.
A view of Westport Lake in 1974 can be seen at the following link; (
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In 1986 the area became one of Stoke's first regeneration projects. It is now run in partnership between Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and Stoke City Council.
The visitor centre, leased from Stoke-on-Trent City Council from 2009, acts as the headquarters of the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust in the north of the county, with offices, a conference room, popular cafe and a regular programme of family events. (
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Westport Lake is well known for its water birds and the area is popular with bird spotters, walkers and anglers.
The site, one of the most visited sites in the city, features two lakes and a number of smaller pools, grassland, scrub, woodland, a nature conservation area and a children's play area. The Scotia Brook - begins at Turnhurst and runs through Tunstall until it meets the Fowlea Brook at Westport Lake.
The main lake at Westport Lake is the largest body of water in the city. It is the most important site in Stoke-on-Trent for wintering and migrating birds; ducks from North and Eastern Europe regularly visit and occasional rarities like Iceland and Mediterranean gulls are seen.
A variety of insects inhabit the lakes which, during the summer, attracts bats searching for food.
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Fishing.
The water at Westport Lake is owned by the City Council and run by the Middleport W.M.C. Day tickets are available on the bank or season tickets are available from local tackle shops the nearest being Pickerings of Burslem which is in the town of Burslem. (
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"Westport Lake is also home to one of the few architectural achievements of recent times in the new Westport Lake Visitor Centre. Delivered by a partnership led by British Waterways, the centre provides a guide and history of Westport Lake, and is to a sleek, modern design allowing stunning views across the park, and using materials sympathetic to its waterside setting." SOURCE: (
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