Kings Mill Reservoir was originally a medieval mill pond, in 1837
William Bentinck the fourth Duke of
Portland increased it's size by building a dam and flooding 72 acres of
farmland, this would supply water all year round to the mills further
down the river Maun and was completed in 1839.The reservoir owes it's existence to the river Maun which begins in nearby Kikby in Ashfield.
The river feeds Kings Mill Reservoir and runs through the centre of Mansfield before eventually joining the river Meden.
Today the reservoir is home to waterfowl, fishing and sailing.
The
newly refurbished Mill Waters Cafe and Visitor Centre, a short walk from the car park.
Towards
the northern edge of the reservoir is England's oldest Railway Viaduct,
it was first built in 1817 out of wood by the Mansfield and Pinxton
Railway Company originally for the use of a horse-drawn tramway and was
opened in 1819. The railway was built to connect Mansfield to the canal
network.
On
the other side of the viaduct is the Hermitage pond, a small nature
reserve, a Grey Heron patiently waiting for a fish to swim by.