Coincidence time: the first Northerner post today was about reservoirs, and so is the last one – this.

It's an oddity; the sale of three impressive dams within five miles of central Hartlepool which used to pipe water to the steam-powered boilers of the port's famous ship-building industry.

Hartlepool Water, which supplies the town and its surroundings, has no further need of the reservoirs which later supplied other industries but have never been part of the domestic and drinking water system. They were built in the 19th and early 20th centuries and one of them has a small castellated tower at the end of a short pier.

Room for one? The castellated tower at Crookfoot. Photograph: H & H Land and Property Limited

The firm, part of Anglian Water, has promoted the reservoirs for the last decade as leisure sites, with fishing allowed by the Hartlepool and District Angling Club and another private club. There is concern on local websites and blogs about the possible loss of waters famous across the north for roach, with bream, carp and perch also stocked in good numbers. But the two biggest seem certain to continue as primarily leisure and environmental attractions; they are also famous as a long-standing stopover for migrating birds.

One of the reasons local people like the lakes. A perch. Illustration: A. Calegari/Getty Images

The smallest reservoir at Hart is close to recent new housing, although development is currently as sluggish in the area as elsewhere because of the recession. But the sale is so unusual that the agents commissioned to handle it, H&H Land and Properties, are letting the market set its own level. Director David Quayle says:

We are inviting offers. We have no idea of an asking price because we have never had to sell any reservoirs before.

Like all estate agents, he naturally has suggestions:

Each site is well stocked with fish and a haven for wildlife making them an ideal and secluded site for many recreational pursuits. With the right planning permission they could be used to extend existing farming or grazing land with the added bonus of reservoirs for irrigation.

They could also be used as a venue for watersports, or as a site for holiday homes subject to planning permission. The potential is limitless.

The biggest reservoir is at Hurworth Burn, where the 21 acre lake built in 1867 comes with 120 surrounding acres of land and woodland. Nearby Crookfoot has the little tower and pier in its 17-hectare reservoir built in 1901, plus 69 acres of farming land. Hart reservoir, also close by, is much smaller.

Kevin Ensell, operations manager for HW, says:

The reservoirs have a fantastic history over the last hundred and more years, but our last customer for their water stopped using them in 2001 and they no longer play a part in our supply business. There is already interest from environmental organisations, because this could be a wonderful site for them.

They were very important to Hartlepool when they used supplied the old docks with water which was turned into steam to power the famous ship building industries. That's finished and now they could be better used for leisure or farming in the area.

The buyer of the reservoirs, which are for sale separately or as a package of all three, must maintain them under the 1975 Reservoirs Act which requires regular inspections.