Draining time for Harewood lake as work starts to end leak saga

The view from the lake towards Harewood House, with its great expanse of water reflecting the sky and the neoclassical stately pile, is one of Capability Brown's most famous vistas.

- by Harriet Sutton

But the famous 18th century landscape architect's creation has been plagued with problems lurking beneath its calm waters ever since work on it started in 1775. And now the search is about to begin for the source of the problem - which could turn out to be damage from a stick or stone - as part of a £500,000 project.

After it was built, the dam leaked and had to be reconstructed. Even after repairs were completed in spring 1778, it leaked again.