Keppel Hill Reservoir: the colonial basin Singapore had forgotten (and wiped off the maps)

Behind the hill of Telok Blangah, at the foot of Mount Faber, lies a green sheet of water that no official Singapore map recorded for decades. The Keppel Hill Reservoir is a small artificial basin from the colonial era: a surface of about 625 square metres (roughly a third of an Olympic pool), with an average depth of around two metres. Today it is surrounded by tropical vegetation, and reaching it requires a stretch of unmarked trail.

The history

The history is documented and worth knowing before you go. The site appears in the records in 1905 as a water reserve linked to the harbour power station, serving the Tanjong Pagar dry dock; in 1906 water was also channelled to a hospital in Pasir Panjang. A 1924 Singapore Harbour Board map shows it as the largest of three small basins at the base of Mount Faber. During the Japanese occupation (1942-1945) officers used it as a swimming pool. Then came the decline: capacity was modest, the water was needed less and less, and as early as 1954 the basin no longer appeared as a reserve on topographic maps. By 2000 its outline had vanished entirely from the maps.

The dark side

The place also has a dark side, which explains the old rusted signs forbidding bathing. On 6 April 1936 two British soldiers of the Middlesex Regiment, Alfred Birch and Francis Hubbard, drowned here: Hubbard died trying to save his comrade. A second drowning is documented on 26 March 1948. From then on the basin was effectively off limits and left to itself.

The "rediscovery" is recent. In 2005 a group of researchers led by Charles Goh came upon it while searching for the tomb of a Japanese naval engineer nearby. Official recognition came only on 17 September 2014, when a team from the National Heritage Board led by Dr John Kwok recorded it as a historic site, noting the value of the hand-made colonial construction materials and techniques. It was this step that slowly brought it back to the attention of local hikers and photographers.

What you see

What you actually see: the still emerald-green water held back by the dam, the remains of the old diving board and bathing area, the old warning signs and the vegetation that has reclaimed everything. There are no fences, walkways, lighting or any facilities. The banks are slippery and the ground often muddy: hiking shoes are essential and it is best to keep a distance from the water's edge.

How to get there

How to get there: the landmark is the Seah Im Bunker, near the Seah Im Carpark and the HarbourFront MRT station (VivoCity area). From there an unmarked dirt trail climbs among the trees behind the bunker; after a few minutes' walk you reach the basin. Do not expect direction signs: it helps to have the coordinates (1.2716, 103.8197) on your phone. You can combine the visit with a climb up Mount Faber or with the historic tombs nearby, among them that of the Japanese engineer Ekasa Komoto; the nearby No. 11 Keppel Hill House, on the other hand, is not open to the public.

When to go: Singapore is equatorial and humid all year, but the relatively drier months (between February and April) make the trail less muddy and safer. Go in the morning, with a supply of water and mosquito repellent, and carry away everything you bring: the site has no bins and no upkeep. It is a fragment of colonial history left to the jungle, a quarter of an hour's walk from one of the busiest tourist hubs in the city.