Tuesday
We started this week at Meadow’s Yard, with the aim of opening up the pond area and re-doing the sides of said pond – so that when small children and animals etc which are unfortunate enough to fall in, can climb out.
We started by clearing the vegetation from around the sides and generally making the pond more noticable. This created a substantial amount of clippings, which were cerimonally carried to the edge of the railway and left, acting as a screen. A litter pick commenced, resulting in finding a tyre, several tree tubes, a chair and half a ceramic duck.
In the afternoon we started digging back the sides of the pond, attempting to find the edge of the liner. Whilst doing this we also dug out clay which was originally used to line the pond. The group split by those digging the liner and clay out, and those extracting the clay from the soil and ‘balling’ it up.
Sculpturing Clay
Derek made a lovely dice (complete with numbers), although this joined the melee of clay balls being tossed/thrown/hurled into the black bags (and yes some seemed to miss the bag completly, hitting the person standing behind/beside the bag instead……).
During the digging of the pond we discovered many a newt! Palmate newts in fact.
A cute newt
By the end of the day we had 3 bags full of clay and most sides of the liner showing. We left the clay bags on site, fully assured that no-one in their right mind would wander off with them.
Wednesday
Wednesday started with a fraught journey down to Meadow’s Yard, picking up Alan on route (which involved some interesting map reading techniques – due to the fact neither Rob or myself had never driven down to the site in the bus before). But we arrived!
Whilst Tommy, Willie and Kirsty set about trimming and cutting back all the privet bushes running paralell to the pond; everybody else started back digging back the sides of the pond – to create ledges and a more gentle slope leading down to the water. I, meanwhile collected all the clay balls from yesterday and pilled them into a tonne bag. According to the book, you are supposed to ‘puddle’ to clay turning it into a ‘plastic consistancy’, preferably with the aid of a flock of sheep (and their feet). Being redundant in the latter, much jumping up and down on the clay mass ensued.
The clay was then cut up into (brownie) chunks, one piece being laid under the top of the liner and another placed on top. This was then smoothed down. Atop the clay, we put a layer of turf – to stop the clay from drying out and cracking, and to re-encourage some vegetation growth. Alan made an excellent bund around one of the ends where the liner disappeared into the water.
A carbon newt-ral pond
We almost ran out of clay. But eventually the pond was sealed and edges turfed. Very impressed at what can be achieved in a few hours! Go Wednesday Group!
Thursday
Fiona and Rob took the group to Callendar Woods cut down some trees. End of story.
To see photos of our past and present projects click here