Cemex make a mess of rubble 18-Nov-2017

The pump keeps pumping though I think it had a little rest mid week.  The outflows were suspiciously not out flowing.  However, I do know from experience that it takes a bit of time for the water to flow through the filtration ponds and then to the Blackwater river when the pump has been turned off for a bit.

Cemex have concentrated their efforts on the community area south of the Blackwater river and on Manor farm.  They appear to have been all over the place these past couple of weeks.  With so much going on I've split the photos over two slide shows.  One concentrates on the south part of Manor farm. Whilst the other concentrates on the mayhem around the culvert/Longwater road entrance.

Cemex did something on Fleet Hill farm, but it isn't obvious. We noticed that one half of a metal gate at the wooden foot bridge had been opened (by the simple means of lifting it off its hinges) and there were fresh caterpillar tracks going from east to west.  We didn't investigate further, partly as we were getting tired, but mainly as it was beginning to drizzle.

I didn't take a spare DSLR camera battery with me. Halfway round our walk the charge started disappearing
and the DSLR had difficulty saving photos.  I had to swap to my bridge camera, hence the oddness in the quality of the photos.


Community Area/Manor Farm

The community area sits south of Manor Farm and south of the river Blackwater. I am slightly unclear as to how much of this area is for recreation and how much is reserve.  Some old structure plans show the area immediately adjoin the works bridge, basically the area I have photographed in this blog, is to be given over to wetlands.  The big hole which Cemex are excavating in the middle distance of these photographs look like the ponds shown on the plans.  In which case the channel that has been cut makes sense.

A community/recreation area occurs much further to the west (i.e. right) of these photos, and immediately abuts the Blackwater river.

I've taken a number of photos of an enormous hill of soil.  The hill is higher than our house, and I tip my hat to the bulldozer operator for making it.  That is one skillful and dangerous job.

Anyway, Cemex have dug a new channel in this area, and it feeds into the Blackwater river.

Changes to Manor Farm south mainly occur around the yellow bridge area. Though once again, as we tend to stick to the south footpath we are only partially aware of any work that may be carried out on the north shores of Cormorant Lake.  There has been much clearance of scrub, and modelling of shorelines.

With the pump operating, the water levels in the lakes drop ever further.  My partner commented on it. She hasn't been around the reserve in three weeks.

Culvert/Longwater road entrance. 'Trackway' on northwest shore of Finch pond.

A couple of weeks back I mentioned what I thought was a new track way head north from the culvert/Longwater road entrance to Manor Farm.  Then I thought perhaps it wasn't a track, being simply clearance of scrub.  I never thought much about it, and certainly didn't trek up it.  Well, today I did, as Cemex have done a huge amount of work around this area.

They might have done some work the previous week to this last last week, but seeing as I walked around the reserve on a Friday and there was heavy machinery in operation, I didn't nip over the gate to see what was going on.

What surprised me the most about what I saw today was the amount of industrial rubble: concrete, bits of brick walls, tarmac, etc, etc.  It was strewn all over the place.  I don't ever remember seeing a building around this area.  It's not bad stuff as hardcore, not the best but good enough for, say, the foundations of a car park.  I have heard rumours of a car park around this area.

I should have worn my wellies.  The ground was quite churned up, which allows silt to settle in various ruts and grooves. I ended up with rather muddy hiking boots - which a tromp through long wet grass cleaned up.

Anyway, on with the slideshow.