Sir – Few sons would publicly announce their father had made a fool of himself (letter, June 24) if not for fear of being labelled ‘like father like son’ and Knowles senior perhaps had good reason to oppose Thirlmere.

As to the “dreary and featureless stretch of Oxfordshire”, no doubt your correspondent’s impression derives from driving along the Hanney to Steventon road as fast as he can, eyes glued to the tarmac.

If he was to get out and walk across the fields on a summer’s afternoon maybe he would begin to appreciate what stands to be lost, as perhaps his father did at Thirlmere.

Blenheim Lake provides no comparison; the reduced proposed reservoir is more than 13 times larger and also more than twice the area of Thirlmere.

You won’t be able to see one side from the other. We are also reminded again recently, from Cumbria, that a reservoir does not provide water security if you do not have the rainfall to fill it.

There are none so blind as those who cannot see and the proposed reservoir would be an unmitigated disaster for Oxfordshire. Alfred once defended this countryside, let us now defend it for Alfred.

C.A. Spinage Faringdon