The dam submerged the original village of Cwm Elan, including the site where the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley once stayed.
The water travels 73 miles from this reservoir to Birmingham purely by gravity, dropping only 52 feet over the entire distance.
The dam was designed with a decorative appearance to reflect the Victorian era's emphasis on civil engineering as public architecture.
It is built on a foundation of solid rock, which was excavated to a depth of 60 feet below the riverbed.
The masonry consists of local stone, specifically blue pennant stone sourced from nearby quarries.
Caban Coch Dam is the lowest of the four dams in the Elan Valley, acting as the primary balancing reservoir for the Birmingham Corporation Waterworks scheme. Completed in 1904, the masonry structure measures 122 feet high and 600 feet long. It functions by impounding the Elan River to create a reservoir that feeds into an aqueduct carrying water to Birmingham. During periods of heavy rainfall, water spills over the central crest, creating a cascading waterfall effect across the entire width of the dam. The dam is constructed of stone-faced concrete and is a Grade II listed structure. It serves as the gateway to the wider Elan Valley reservoirs, located in the Cambrian Mountains of mid-Wales.
The viewing area located at the base of the dam looking directly up at the spillway.
Visit during periods of high rainfall to witness the dramatic 'overflow' effect where water cascades over the entire crest.
Park at the lower visitor area for the best vantage point of the dam wall from below.
Bring waterproof clothing even in summer, as spray from the overflow can reach the viewing areas.
Attempting to walk across the dam crest, which is typically closed to public pedestrian traffic.
Stay within marked pedestrian barriers; climbing the dam wall is strictly prohibited for safety.
