Prepping for bridlepath. Further landscaping of east part of Manor lake extension. 19th August 2023

English ladies footpath team make it to the world cup final, to be played against Spain.

Sadly, I have just discovered, whilst updating this blog entry, that the valiant ladies lost 1:0 to Spain. A wonderful effort, nevertheless.

Stop press! I talked to a Finchampstead Parish councilor at a Finchampstead Development Plan roadshow, and he told me that contractors had been around the top of Manor farm restoration cutting a 4m wide 'path' through the grasslands up there. Your intrepid reporter couldn't resist this opportunity to record what has been done.

My first surprise was not finding the start of this 4m path near the Moor Green Lakes car park. Even after walking about 100m south towards the river Blackwater was no path to be discovered. I marched back to close to the MGLG car park, and took off westward into the north part of Manor farm.

Breaking out of the wooded part of this site, I happened on a vast patch of nettles, thistles and small brambles. Now, at this time of the year, nettles are maturing to a semi-hardwood status. This gives nettles spikes the ability to pierce my walking trousers. It was painful going, fighting my way southward and westward through the nettles, whose stings were aided and abetted by thistle and bramble spikes.

I finally reached grassland, and struck out westward. Still no sign of the wide path. Eventually I reached a fragment of hedgerow, and a path of short, mown grass. Interesting! I struck out south, towards the main reed beds, but saw nothing. I retraced my steps, and noticed two features. To the north, was a gate at the head of a short track, leading from where Dell Road intersects the Lower Sandhurst road - civilisation!  I then noticed the 4m wide path, heading off westward.

This swathe of mown grass more or less hugs the north of the site (at slight odds with the plans I have), but rather excitingly goes right along the north shore of Hawthorn lake. Additionally, walkers are about 8 feet above the lake, giving superb views, but frightening any wild fowl on the lake.  Looking at the final plans carefully, I've discovered that this section of path is for foot traffic only. This is superb news, as horse riders, being so high up, would definitely scare birds away. As it is, they are very nervous of walkers.

The path snakes around the north part of Manor farm, around what was Cormorant lake (north) before terminating at its southwest corner. The path does not continue around what was the mighty Finch pond, to fetch up by the Longwater road entrance. This explains why I didn't know about this path as there was nothing to see on my early morning Saturday site visit.

​Oh, I spotted a Hobby, Kestrel, Buzzard (I think, though it might have been the Marsh Harrier), Barn owl and a Grey Heron.

Inert need to get a really decent, dog proof fence erected along the entire length of any type of paths.

Perhaps the most exciting development this week: Inert start work on the bridlepath and footpath that is allegedly to circle the Manor farm restoration.

On the west side of the site (Bailey bridge to Longwater road) a digger has been cutting a wide shallow trench, that follows the route of the Blackwater valley footpath.  Westward, the bridlepath stops at the Colebrook as it disappears under the Longwater road. A bridge will be required to get across the Colebrook. As the bridlepath heads east, the trench sort of fizzles out when it reaches the recent landscaping, starting at the hole for the west sluice gate.

On the east side of the site (Bailey bridge to footpath from Moor Green Lake Group car park to River Blackwater) Inert have simply mown down all the nettles and weeds along the route of the Bridlepath cut by contractors some months ago. I guess the digger will go over this cleared path at some point to cut a shallow trench. In clearing weeds and nettles, Inert have knocked down fencing here and there. The fencing man needs to get to work, pdq, to erect proper, robust fencing.

I think the basic method of creating a bridlepath is to first cover bottom of trench with weed proof material, Then cover with scalpings and/or gravel to required depth.

Landscaping on the east part of the channel has been completed. There is just the middle bit (around Crescent bank) to be completed, thus joining Manor lake to its extension. The infill of what was the last remaining fragment of Cormorant lake has not been as aggressive as feared, and there is some wide expanse of open water.

Rather grimly, Inert appear to have made inroads into the wooded area just west of the Bailey bridge. Ominous piles of soil have appeared, some of which have been placed in some grassy patches of the wooded area. I do fear this established and beautiful area may be sacrificed to the infill god.

Well, it looks like we're entering the end game for restoration of Manor farm. Hopefully, by close of year the newest reserve in the country, Longwater Road, will be opened officially.

As usual, photo updates will occur over the coming week.

1. We kick off this week's installment with the trench cut for the bridlepath along the south and western half of Manor farm restoration.

A further quick update. The diagram below shows where Inert have cut a swathe through grassland to mark out both a bridlepath and a footpath along the north of Manor farm.

This weekend's foray on to Manor farm restoration saw me well prepared with wellingtons. Partly as I was determined to get to the north side of Manor lake extension, and partly as we had a lot of rain during the week, especially on Friday - yesterday.

The surface mud, where Inert had been landscaping, was a particularly nasty type that clung to one's boots. It is very easy to get a kilo of mud or more on each boot! There were parts of the restoration, where Inert had been working, where I didn't dare traverse, even with wellingtons. My foot would start sinking into the mud, even with light pressure. One particular section, northeast corner of Manor lake extension, against the banking, consists of bit of remaining mudflats from the old Cormorant lake (south). This mud is particularly lethal, being deep and the consistency of quicksand.

Anyway, I was able to cross over to the north shore of Manor lake extension near to the west sluice gate hole. Getting to the south shore, via the east side of Manor lake, was a more difficult proposition. Inert had been working there, and I learned from bitter experience that this would mean very, very soft, 'sink up to your knees' mud.

This next tranche of photos covers the north side of Manor lake extension, which I wasn't able to fully traverse last week due to lack of wellingtons. As usual, I have taken a lot of photos, as the structure of the landscaping will not be seen once covered in vegetation.

Now for a little light relief from tedious photographs of mud, mud and yet more mud.

Some dragonflies and demoiselles I photographed last week. Some were on Colebrook lake (north), Moor Green Lakes nature reserve. Some (not in water) were on Manor farm restoration, next to Blackwater valley footpath.

This next tranche of photos takes in the middle bit of un-landscaped area between Manor lake and its extension. Once landscaped we should get one long Manor lake. Though it is more of a mire than a lake, hence why I call it Manor Mire.

I also take you along the cleared route of the south bridlepath. Although I took loads of photos of this path for historical context, I have spared you, dear reader, from having to endure viewing endless photos of seemingly identical looking bits of grass path.  The ones I took earlier in the year will suffice.

We also visit the area immediately to the west of the Bailey bridge. This has been cleared by Inert (particularly the pump pipes) and landscaped. I fear for the established wooded and reed area, as many piles of soil have appeared to the west of it, some encroaching on its western edge.