Categories: Restoration
      Date: Nov  7, 2008
     Title: Lower Pond

Yorkshire Gardens Trust has offered us a grant of £500 towards the removal of silt and vegetation from the pond.  Paxman Landscapes have commenced clearing out the Lower Pond (7 November 2008). 



Yorkshire Gardens Trust has offered us a grant of £500 towards the removal of silt and vegetation from the pond.  Paxman Landscapes have commenced clearing out the Lower Pond (7 November 2008).  The initial 'dig' revealed that the pond is much deeper than we first thought and appears to have been 'carved'  out of the sandstone, after further examination the pond appears to be concrete lined.  All the contents of the pond will be dried out and used as compost in the lower areas of the park.  The pictures below show the pond before work began, Paxmans digger commencing the clear out and John Ross digging to reveal the pond wall.

Pond before clearing outPaxman's digger clearing pondPond wallLower Pond 10 March 20099 - 11 March 2009 Paxman Landscapes have been clearing the pond for 3 days and it is a much bigger job than first anticipated.  They will return next week to complete the clearance.

Jason Mallinson and the laurel bush

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 March 2009.  Jason Mallinson, experienced potholer and climber, prepares to remove the laurel from the cliff face.
Jason and the cut down laurel Lower pond cleared

Job Done!. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paxman Landscapes carried out further clearance of the pond on 18th & 19th March.  A shelf has been created at the front for aquatic plants.
Lower pond cleared further digging in the pond 29 March 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community Grant Scheme

Kirklees LogoIn February 2009 we were awarded a grant of £3,000 through the Kirklees Council Community Grant Scheme in partnership with Crosland Moor Junior School to build a pond dipping platform.

Further investigation 29 March 2009.  On 1 April we met with BTCV to discuss the siting of the pond dipping platform and what further work needs to be done.   In May we received a quote from BTCV for the work which is acceptable to the committee and it is hoped that work will commence in August 2009.

Lower Pond August 2009

 

 

August 2009 - the pond has partially filled with rainwater.

On 9 December 2009 BTCV returned to the site to investigate the depth of the pond. Following a wet Autumn it has filled up and we are now able to establish the height of the pond dipping platform.  BTCV hope to start work in January 2010.
-Lower pond investigation 

 February 16 2010 BTCV commence work on the Pond Dipping Platform
BTCV 18 Feb 2010 Lower Pond cleared out before work can begin

BTCV commence construction 23 Feb 2010

Progress on platform  Platform 11 March 2010
Pond Dipping Platform Finished March 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Platform finished 18 March 2010 - the BTCV team test the platform.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you to BTCV for all their hard work and Kirklees Council for the Community Grant.  The project was difficult mainly due to the location at the bottom end of the park and all materials were carried down.  Thanks also go to John Mason and his work team who provided some assistance in clearing the pond.  Jason Mallinson has since cleared more vegetation from the cliff face and viewing platforms.  A good team effort.
The area to the left of the pond will be planted up shortly, Kirklees Council will construct a new fence with locking gate and a Geology information board will give visitors details of the rock formation.