Tourists, daytrippers, and wild swimmers are being warned to stay away from an idyllic beauty spot in south Wales due to infrastructure risks and difficulties in ensuring the safe management of the site.
Brombil Reservoir, near Port Talbot, originated as a colliery basin in the 18th century, but first went viral on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been nicknamed the Welsh “blue lagoon” for its striking colour. Since then, it has attracted hundreds of thousands of social media tags and seen an influx of visitors, as well as being sold in 2024 to Leisure Estate Investments Ltd for the bargain sum of £20,000 (around €23,600).
Ironically, the reservoir’s notable blue colour is reported to be caused by blue-green algae, which produces toxins that are harmful for both humans and dogs, leading to skin rashes, eye irritation, nausea, and vomiting. It’s a mismatch between perception and use that is being played out in other aspects of the site’s destiny too.
Though the reservoir is accessible via a 900-metre-long footpath, the way is steep and has become littered with rubbish. The owners have now installed barriers on the reservoir’s dam face, and a £2 entry fee has been imposed, as well as a ban on a range of “unauthorized” activities.
Swimming, hiking, motorcycling, filming, and camping are all now prohibited without prior consent from the management team, according to the company’s social media pages. Leisure Estate Investments stated: “Our long-term goal is to safely open this site for community health and well-being. However, the reservoir is currently a high-risk infrastructure site and remains private property.”
The firm went on: “For your own safety, we strictly discourage public access at this time, and all entry is entirely at your own risk. Managing this site requires significant private funding for environmental protection and flood maintenance. If you choose to visit, please support our conservation efforts by paying our £2 site maintenance fee.”
The “maintenance fee” will help raise funds for removing rubbish and managing vegetation, cleaning flood channels, promoting local biodiversity, and repairing structural damage, the statement said.
Online commenters on platforms such as Reddit have complained that the owners did not sufficiently research the implications of owning a reservoir before purchasing it, although it seems for now the intention remains to turn the location into a leisure facility, with the area described on the reservoir website as “perfect for nature enthusiasts, adventurers, filming and those with a keen interest for ecology.”
