Grimsbury Reservoir, lake in the United Kingdom
Grimsbury Reservoir is a body of water built in the early 1960s near Banbury, covering about 7.4 hectares with gently sloping banks. It is surrounded by open pastureland to the west and bordered by Grimsbury Woodland Nature Reserve to the northeast, with walking paths following the water's edge.
The reservoir was constructed in the early 1960s and is managed by Thames Water as part of regional water supply infrastructure. It became the second-largest water storage facility in Oxfordshire and later saw additions including bird and bat conservation measures.
The name refers to the nearby settlement of Grimsbury. Today it serves as a space where locals and visitors gather to walk, fish, and watch birds in a setting that offers a quiet escape from town life.
The site is accessible via marked walking and cycling paths running roughly half a mile around the water. Bring your own snacks and drinks, as there are no cafés or shops immediately nearby.
The reservoir attracts numerous bird species during spring and autumn migration, including swallows, sand martins, and occasional kingfishers passing through. The nearby Borrow Pit pool, a former excavation site, has naturally filled with water and is being developed into a country park to further protect the floodplain habitat.
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