July 2018 - Before the pond regeneration works

These photos of Brickfields Park pond were taken during the heat wave and just before the pond restoration works started. In some ways it has helped the regeneration works as there is much less water than usual in the pond to pump out but it does go to show the state that our pond is in, with over thirty years of accumulated rubbish, concrete blocks, bricks, tree branches and debris and perhaps even a shopping trolley to two, who knows, we do know there is the remains of what looks like a large galvanised water tank.

For many years after the opening in 1985 the pond did very well, it had lots of fish with many large specimens, even a few Koi, and about a third of the pond was covered with two variants of Waterlily. Fishing was not allowed as the pond was a stock pond for others in the Borough. Tree cover at first was minimal allowing lots of sunlight in but over the years the park's Alders, Hawthorns, Poplars and Oaks filled out, but others especially Willows, liking the damp bank side areas and islands grew very fast. Photos from just after the park was opened - here - show a very open vista to that today, with open clear water and very few surrounding trees, but even then the bushy Willows were starting to grow rapidly.

Before | Tree felling | Dredging | After | Finished


Pond outfall area	Collapsed island	Algae growth during the heat wave
More algae -	- and overhanging trees	Tree debris and overhanging trees	Bank regrowth after tree clearance
Photos ©2018– - Click any photo for a larger image Before \| Tree felling \| Dredging \| After \| Finished
Pond inlet area	Years of silting	Tree debris	Far too much shading
Too much shade	View to inlet with silt	Algal bloom	Shading
Photos ©2018– - Click any photo for a larger image Before \| Tree felling \| Dredging \| After \| Finished
Shade, rotting tree stumps	Leaning trees	Algal bloom	Banking regrowth, algae
Bogbean regrowth after tree clearance	Brick debris	Fallen willow	Too much shade

Before | Tree felling | Dredging | After | Finished

Close window