I thought I'd spare you endless photos of a trench cut into the south east side of Manor lake to accommodate a bridlepath. It is possible that Inert may have completed cutting the trench and filling it with ballast, since Tuesday. I didn't want to take the chance and head down there this morning. There was very little restoration work taking place on Tuesday.
Instead, I shall enjoy the last day of summer, where temperatures are expected to reach 25C, before the rains and strong winds arrive tomorrow and next week. Probably various hurricanes that have drifted over the Atlantic from America. The most exciting news this week is that the James Webb Space Telescope appears to have found Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) on an exoplanet, K2-18 b, a Hycean world roughly 8.5 bigger than Earth. What's so important about this? The only known way that DMS occurs in Earth's atmosphere is via biological activity. Therefore, unless K2-18 b has some exotic non-biological way of creating DMS or if JWST didn't really register DMS then JWST may just have found evidence of extraterrestrial life. News back on terra firma is less exciting. Inert appears to have made little progress on restoring Manor farm. Caveat: I did not walk all the way to the Longwater road entrance and neither did I venture on to the site to look at the north bridle path. Inert may have tinkered along these stretches. There has been no more work on the south bridle path west of the Bailey bridge. Inert have tentatively started to cut a trench for the bridle path to the east of the Bailey bridge. They appear to have cut a trench a few tens of metres long from near the east footpath running between Manor farm and Moor Green Lakes. One digger was working languidly on the gravel extraction area. It appeared to be removing top soil from the west of the north end of the extraction area. Plans of the site do show this is where gravel should be extracted. Not an exciting haul of photos of Manor farm today. So I'll add a whole lot taken on Moor Green Lakes, with today's lack of sunshine. Oh, I found three atmospheric photos which I took on Saturday. I've tagged these on the slideshow. Today, temperatures are expected to hit 31C around Finchampstead. Weather records broken with 30C temperatures for five consecutive days and counting. It has been very dry and hot this past week. Inert appear to have sped up on their construction of the south bridle path. It has almost reached where the trench ends, about 50 yards west of the Bailey bridge. I did find it curious as to why the western side of the south bridle path trench ended, rather than carrying on to join up with the eastern side of the south bridle path. Two thoughts spring to mind. 1) Inert do not want to have the south bridle path cross the track from the Bailey bridge. Too much heavy plant will be crossing between Manor farm and Chandlers farm over the next few months. This would damage any bridle path. 2) The vehicle track from the Bailey bridge to the current end of the south vehicle track is quite suitable as a bridle path. It has been built up over the years with limestone and rubble, which has then been well consolidated by lots of movement of heavy vehicles over it. Time will tell which is correct. Inert have also dumped, quite randomly, piles of rather nice soil along the west part of the bridle path. I'm quite intrigued as to what on earth (no pun intended) they will be used for, seeing as this part of the site has been restored for some time. I could do with roughly 20 tons of topsoil. Bank repairs for ditch at bottom of our garden. I wonder if Inert have any spare, and will they deliver in 4, 6 or 8 ton loads on to double driveway, over several weeks? :-) :-) :-) I am concerned with the wetter parts of the site which the south bridle path crosses. I think these wet parts will compromise the integrity of the bridle path, causing it to erode quickly and cause problems for users of the path i.e. who wants to walk across boggy, muddy ground. Inert have cleared a path from the south bridle path, across the yellow bridge; where it winds its way to where the north embankment and east embankment intersect. The cleared path meets the north bridle path. This would indicate that Inert will use this cleared path to transport materials with which to construct the north bridle path. There were plans mooted for a path through the middle of Manor farm, and there is one indicated on plans I have. I feel this would be excellent. I find Moor Green Lakes nature reserve too restrictive, as it doesn't have a path along its northern edge or through its middle. The house owner of the huge properties on the north side of Moor Green Lakes get superb views of Colebrook and Grove lakes, but some, we know, care nothing for nature. Construction of the north bridle path will therefore take ages as there is so far for vehicles to travel; plus we have their working practices e.g. driving over to Chandlers farm to get one roll of weed proof membrane. Sigh, I was looking forward to a lie in on Saturday. I have mentioned on a few occasions that whilst wildfowl tend to disappear during the day from open bodies of water close to foot and bridle paths, they do tend to be around from evening to morning. Well, case in point, this morning. Bits of open water (e.g. Finch pond, Manor lake next to yellow bridge) were heaving with wild fowl. Some would fly off to feeding grounds, early in the morning. Typically larger birds like ducks and geese and swans. Other smaller birds (plus some big ones) lurk around, mainly hidden from view, which is what they would do normally. Too many predators around. Manor farm is far more photogenic than Moor Green Lakes. I suspect that Fleet Hill farm would also be fairly photogenic. Sunrise in particular when viewed over Manor farm restoration. Sunrise was semi-exciting, this morning. I was hoping for a spectacular sunrise, as we have had Saharan dust and sand blown over the UK. Friday's sunrise was very nice over Wokingham and Bracknell. Shame it obscured any sight of comet Nishimura. Summer has finally arrived. Hurrah! But only for a week, possibly two. With temperatures in the high 20s, flirting with low 30s, you would have thought Inert would be cracking on with finishing off Manor farm before autumnal rains arrive. Nah. We're talking Inert here. Restoration of Manor farm has slowed to glacial pace. Though today there were two diggers at work on the south bridle path. On the other hand, working practices might explain the slow pace. As I approached the Bailey bridge (roughly 9:45am and tea break time) I saw an orange digger, clanking its way towards the bridge. It stopped briefly to either drop a bucket or fiddle about with some near the Bailey bridge, before it clanked its way over the bridge, and headed off southeast towards the works offices; possibly for a driver tea break and/or diesel. Anyway, about half an hour later I heard it clanking back. Shortly after it had stopped (by the eastern edge of the constructed bridle path), a birder (a regular) walked up to us. He said he saw the digger carrying one roll of weed proof membrane, which the digger operator then started unrolling to continue building the bridle path. The bridle path had been extended as far as the copse. I then had to wander back, and as I walked eastward I saw the maxi dumper truck trundling west with one roll of weed proof membrane! Yep, one roll. It's no wonder restoration and the building of the bridle paths continue to take so long. Inert staff must know how many yards of bridle path they can comfortably construct in a day, and therefore take as many rolls of weed proof membrane as is needed, plus a couple of extra. Any left over at close of play can be transported back to Chandlers farm. Also, drop off rolls at side of bridle path, corresponding to the length they will cover. I don't know whose profit margins are being affected, but I'm glad I'm not paying for this. Of course, there may be reasons why only one roll of membrane was transported at at time on the day I visited, but I can't really fathom any proper reason. I wonder if the bridle path will reach the Bailey bridge and beyond by the weekend? I've been told that they were working on Saturday. This will cause me problems as sunrise is getting later and later, getting closer to 7:30am, which is the earliest I have ever seen Inert on site. It will be touch and go whether I encounter Inert on Saturday morning. Apparently, there is a comet (Nishimura) that is visible to the naked eye, reaching its perihelion on Sept 12th. It is visible now, with best viewings an hour after sunset and an hour before sunrise. I get two cracks at seeing it per day! Most people who I meet on my stomp around Manor farm are generally in favour of the restoration plans. Walkers/runners etc are excited at a circular route around Manor farm. Birders and photographers are pleased to get closer to nature - along with greater views from north Manor farm. The vistas over grasslands to the north of Manor farm are simply brilliant. Then I met grumpy. An elderly birder I've not seen before. He decried the bridle path, describing it as "disastrous". Wildlife will be frightened away. Whilst he does have a point, a matter I have alluded to, I wouldn't say it is disastrous. Wildlife adapts, and will live around times when people are about. I see it already with birds on Manor and Fleet Hill farms, who disappear during 'busy' parts of the day, but are around early morning and late evenings. Plus, Manor and Fleet Hill farms are a community resource, where the needs of people and wildlife have to be balanced. He also needs to take himself off to various other reserves, particularly RSPB ones. He'll find people are right up close and personal to nature. Enough of my ramblings and Mr Grumpy. What have Inert been up to since Tuesday? Well, not a huge amount on Manor farm. I think most of their efforts are now on Chandlers farm. Inert have continued with construction of the south bridle path, starting from the Colebrook channel next to the Longwater road entrance and working their way around to the Bailey bridge. As I stated last week, the construction is to first lay a weed proof, permeable material on the bed of the path. On top of this goes gravel. However, the stuff going on is, as I figured on Tuesday, stuff that looks like ballast: a mixture of sand and gravel. It's been a long time since I visited Fleet Hill farm, and I can't remember if Inert then cap this 'ballast' with gravel. As it is, I'm not sure how the current 'ballast' will stand up to horse, foot and cycle traffic. It will certainly get torn up by hooves. I reckon it will then be washed away in heavy rain, as well as transported off when caught in hooves, footwear and cycle tyres. I was surprised how little progress had been made on constructing the path. Granted, the depth of 'ballast' is quite considerable, but my viewings on Tuesday didn't reveal a great deal of urgency. I do fear for the bridle path as it passes north of the sewage works and east of Longwater road. This area floods, and it floods quite deeply. I reckon this flooding will compromise the bridle path. Good news, there is at least one week of heatwave; summer has arrived. Pretty bad news for kiddies going back to school. Deep hole being dug in odd place. Dinky earth mover dumps ballast into bridle path. 29th August 202329/8/2023
A very grey, overcast morning. Not good for photography. All the gulls and terns have gone. Tern island very bereft of birds. Fairly quite on Colebrook lake (north), pretty similar for Manor farm. Inert have changed to a much lower gear, restoration wise on Manor farm. A lot of effort on Chandlers farm. A digger operator was digging a very deep hole in a very odd place: just east of the hole for the east sluice gate. I really can't work out why this hold is being dug where it is being dug. Inert went to a lot of effort to fill in this part of Manor lake. However, this does seem standard practice for Inert. Fill in a place, smooth it over, then dig it out again. The digger was bringing up blue-grey soil. It normally forms in anaerobic conditions; which could mean deep under a lake e.g. Manor lake. Quite baffled as to why the hole is so deep. Except it might be for gravel extraction. Shame Inert infilled the lakes around this area. I saw the smallest earth mover I have ever seen on the site, trundling its way, quite dinkyly, eastward along the bridle path trench. It went over to the digger operator to take him to Chandlers farm for a tea break. The earth mover had dumped three loads of, what looked like, ballast on the bridle path trench, immediately south of the Colebrook channel, which heads under the Longwater road. It looks as if Inert are cracking on with constructing the bridle path, and not leaving for some other time in the future, by which time the trench will be over grown. Two odd points about the process. Firstly, I could have sworn a weed proof, permeable membrane should have been laid in the bottom and sides of the trench. I couldn't see one. Secondly, the stuff being dumped looked like heavy duty ballast, not gravel. It sort of makes sense. When I build patios, I put down a decent foundation of ballast, and any hardcore I can lay may hands on. Actually, I need 22 yards (tons) of soil. Seriously, to fill in a ditch. I wonder if Inert have 22 tons spare, and would they deliver in five four ton loads and one 2 ton? We have a nice wide, deep driveway. Gives me time to shovel into ditch if loads come every other day. :-) :-) :-) It just occurred to me, as I was processing this week's photos, that the area at the corner of the sewage works and Longwater road is still very low lying and prone to flooding. I'm not sure if this area has had a capping layer of soil to build up its level. It has been some time since Inert worked on this area. This is where the bridle path goes! This means the path could get water logged, which in turn means it will deteriorate quickly. In fact, the footpath alongside the sewage works and the Longwater road entrance is notorious for flooding. The section that runs alongside the Longwater road is particularly bad, supporting a 'puddle' over six inches deep (deeper than much of Manor lake!!) and extends for over 15m; it was much loved by a Moorhen earlier in the year. A lady dog walker, I saw earlier in the year, couldn't take her two Dachshunds along the path because they would have to swim through the puddle as it was so deep. First off, that awful 45th US president got banged to rights on Thursday. In an historic first, he had a mugshot taken. Unfortunately, I had to see his ghastly orange face, leering at me from BBC news online front page. Secondly, I will not put your through the ordeal of viewing over a hundred photos. I'm relieved as well. It takes a considerable time to process them. Today's photos are hampered by lack of light. Sunrise was 6:06am. It generally doesn't get properly light until about 20 to 30 minutes after sunrise, and only then when the sun has cleared tree lines. I got stomping from the Longwater road entrance at 6:00am. Overhead was thick cloud and mist! Thirdly, I got it wrong with the north gate to the Bailey bridge. I forgot that it had been replaced, and was now a single gate, and that I had to walk across the access road, over to the hinge side to climb over it. You have to cut me some slack, I am still quite dozy at 5.00am to 7.00am on a weekend morning. What fooled me was that both sets of gates were unlocked, and open. I closed the ones on the Chandlers ford side of the bridge, as they were easy to secure. Yes, the Yellow pump is back, sat near the Bailey bridge, along with short lengths of pipe. I am somewhat perplexed by its return. The only reason I can see for it is to pump out water from the excavations to the immediate north of the Bailey bridge, where gravel is going to be extracted for bridle and foot paths. Seems like a lack of planning, going on here. a) Why was our old faithful red pump removed? It didn't seem clapped out, and was going strong, if a little noisily. The new pump costs money to hire. I think the old one belonged to Inert. b) Where is the water going to be pumped? I don't think it can go directly into the Blackwater. It can't go over to the settlement ponds in Chandlers farm because, guess what, the pipes leading to them across the Blackwater have been removed. The only place left, from what I can see, is Manor lake. But guess what, the sediment from pumping will settle into any deep bits of water, lowering the depth of water. On to the south bridlepath. The section from the Longwater road entrance to about 50m east of the sewage works has been scraped smoothed. I'm not sure if this was done by a bulldozer or digger. I suspect former. Overall, the path is very firm underfoot, but there are numerous soft spots. This will cause sinkage in the top covering, which in turn will cause an uneven surface for users. Inert carried on digging the trench where they left off last week, about 50 yards east of sewage works, through to about 50 yards west of the Bailey bridge. The bit between near the sewage works and where the path hits the old south (limestone) vehicle track still needs smoothing off. Whereas at the Bailey bridge end, the path sort of peters out. A quick eyeballing give the distinct impression that the land surface here, were the path peters out, is about a metre higher than the Blackwater footpath. I can't really see what else Inert did since Tuesday. Yes, they have spread more capping soil on the ground between the bridlepath and the Blackwater valley footpath. They may have done a little tinkering here and there, but nothing obvious. The bridlepath to the east of the Bailey bridge appears untouched, but I didn't bother going down there. I certainly didn't visit the north bridle and foot paths. I doubted anything would have been done on them. I'll attempt to look on Tuesday, but probably only if Inert have cleared the path to the Moor Green Lakes Group car park. So far the weather is looking dry. And I carry my Hi-Vis vest with me, to stand out, just in case any one is working on the site. Which I stay off if I know they are there. The north edge of the south bridle path is up to 25m closer to Manor lake than the north edge of the Blackwater valley (aka South) footpath. Quite a lot is 7m, with it being 15m closer at the famous Grey box. For me, a photographer primarily, it brings me much closer to the birds. For birders, it offers greater scope for seeing birds. Sadly it might mean birds, particularly on Manor lake, may move further away into the Main Reed beds. However, thinking about this. The footpaths and causeways we walked along at RSPB Leighton Moss were as close if not closer to open water as on Manor farm. However, the area was covered in reeds, which towered above our heads. We couldn't see anything. Birds were quite happily hiding in the reeds, probably quite close to us, but quite obscured. Great for the birds, less so for birders and photographers. But then again, the Longwater road nature reserve is for wildlife, primarily, though as a community resource, a balance has to be struck between providing views of nature, without causing too much disturbance for said nature. Now, I forgot that bridle paths (or Bridleways) are open to foot, pedal cycle and horse traffic. This means that birders, in particular, will gleefully walk along. And it is lovely and wide. Originally against it being a bridlepath, as I thought it for horse riders, and having had a couple of nasty encounters with rude, entitled horse riders arrogantly forcing me off footpaths (note, footpaths; where they shouldn't have been) I was against them. However, thinking matters through. They could be very good for wildlife, if joggers, casual walkers and dog walkers can be kept to the Blackwater valley footpath. They tend to be the most disruptive to wildlife, especially day trippers from Horseshoe lake. Horse riders tend to be quite rare (so far), hence cause a small amount of disruption to wildlife. Cyclists are generally quite, but tend to whoosh past, again causing little disruption. Hopefully, that leaves birders and walkers to use the bridle paths. These tend to be very quite and respectful of the countryside and wildlife. Even now, there are a surprising number of people using the footpaths who are, shall we say, nature watchers, out to appreciate the country side. Unlike last week, the going on the site was firm due a spell of relatively dry and warm weather. I didn't need wellingtons. Wildfowl were in reasonable abundance. The usual Egyptian geese, Canada geese abounded; joined by Lapwing, Green Sandpipers, at least eight Little White Egrets, the odd Cormorant, and the normal Mallards. I didn't pay too much attention, plus it was early and the birds hadn't got warmed up. Of the Marsh Harrier, Kestrels and Hobby, there was no sign. Again, it was very early, and there was mist or low clouds grazing the tops of trees. Photos to follow, after the Memsahib and I get back from our morning constitutional around local footpaths. Update on 26th August. I had this niggly feeling that I was missing a photo from my stomp around the north bridle path. Indeed I had, as I 'discovered' it this week on my cheapo, ancient compact digital camera. It was a photograph of the eastern end of the cleared route of the path. I met a Cemex staff member who visited Manor farm restoration to check up on restoration and the route of the bridle/foot paths in particular. An Inert manager was with her to. They explained that a whole load of gravel will be dug out just north of the Bailey bridge and used to create said bridle and foot paths. The resulting hole will be filled in with material forming Crescent bank. I have seen plans for the site where there is mention of digging up gravel from just north of the Bailey bridge for creating paths. So that is consistent. Anyway, Inert were at work, digging out the western portion of the south bridle path, basically following the route of the former south vehicle track. The spoil from the resulting trench is being dumped on top of Crescent bank. There's an awful lot of it, which will make a very deep, big hole. One aspect of the bridlepaths and footpaths that did surprise me, was how close they are to areas of open water i.e. Manor lake extension and Hawthorn lake. Whilst brilliant for birders and us photographers, it's bad news for wildfowl, as they would be frightened off by people being so close. And as for horse riders, being some 8 feet or more high in the air. I will have to wander over to Fleet Hill farm and see how wildfowl cope with the bridlepath that runs around what I call south lake i.e. the lake to the south of the Longwater road entrance. There were some birds who weren't too bothered. I can't remember if the Great Crested Grebes were still in the lake. As you read this update, please be aware that I have plans from WBC planning that contradict each other. One set has a bridlepath running all around the north part of Manor farm restoration. Another has a bridlepath only going part way round from the Longwater road entrance to roughly the middle of the north edge, where it turns north to follow an old farm track to the Lower Sandhurst road. What continues to the Moor Green Lakes Group car park is a footpath only. This latter plan makes more sense to me. Anyway, on with another marathon photo fest of the route of the north path I photographed on Sunday after my tip off from a Finchampstead Parish councilor. It was strange photographing with loads of light and no sunrise. I've decided to tag my Tuesday stomp report on to the end of this posting as they are sort of related. The Cemex representative was visiting Manor farm restoration to inspect progress, primarily of the bridle and foot paths. She was driven around the site by an Inert manager in a new shape Landrover Defender. I'm still in two minds about the new Defender. I love the old Defender, but the new one doesn't quite float my boat, as they say. It is too smoothed off and like the plethora of bubble cars. It is sort of distinguishable from the generic SUV, but only if you pay attention. Some of the colour schemes I've seen on them are positively ghastly. The Defender did very well, coping with the very, very uneven surface of Dell and Honey fields, also crossing some of the more boggy ground. Though they didn't cross over the very boggy ground that was the ridge. Apparently, I am known to Cemex, and she asked walkers who talked to her if they were Angus. Gulp! I had visions of being carted off to the clink (handcuffed and slung in the back of the Defender) or being issued with writs for all the pithy comments I've made in my blog. Nah, nothing of it. We had a very pleasant chat, when we met. She was particularly excited about our resident Marsh Harrier - and who wouldn't be. Anyway, enough name dropping, idle gossip. One with Inert's latest progress. The pace of which is exhausting. They are completing in days jobs that used to take them months. A digger has continued digging the west bridlepath trench on the south side of Manor farm from where they left off on Friday. A truly substantial trench it is. The spoil from the trench is being dumped on Crescent bank, and will be used to infill a large hole Inert will dig to extract gravel for the various paths they are building. I was very surprised how close the paths were to Manor and Hawthorn lakes. A lot of wildfowl will scurry off when people and horse riders come by. However, they will return at dusk when they learn that people do not appear. My very early morning forays onto Manor and Fleet Hill farms reveal plenty of birds. Some pretty substantial fencing needs to be erected pdq. Said fencing needs mesh along it to stop dogs from getting onto the reserve and frightening off birds - particularly ground nesting e.g. Sky larks and LRPs, if the latter ever come back. LRPs need lots of shingle and gravel surfaces to nest on. I'm not sure if the design of the site accommodates this covering. The Cemex representative did mention that they were thinking of putting a car park on Fleet Hill farm. We know that the Longwater road entrances to Fleet Hill farm are a very popular spot for parking cars. The only issue is sight line for drivers, as this section of road is still, perversely, 60mph! Though to be honest, most drivers only get up to 40mph. I have seen, in a planning document, a statement saying that the speed limit will be changed to 30 mph, once the reserve becomes operational - open, in layman's terms. Actually, I feel 40mph will be more suitable. Words with local councils could speed up (no pun intended) the speed limit being lowered. Most all residents would be very pleased for this to occur. Oh, I do hope that more than 20 spaces will be provided. This is a figure I've seen on a site diagram for a proposed car park on Manor farm at the Longwater road entrance. Whilst we were stood chatting on the Bailey bridge, the Inert manager suggested lowering the footpath there by a metre or so. I'm not sure how that is going to work with the Bailey bridge. One plan by Finchampstead Parish Council is that the Bailey bridge would offer good site access for vehicles via Chandlers farm. It ain't going to work if there is a couple of feet or three drop on the north end of the Bailey bridge. Oh, one huge surprise to me, which I didn't pick up on. There is a foot bridge on the east of the Bailey bridge. This used to carry the outflow pipe from the pump, and was obscured by vegetation. Now that the vegetation has been cleared, and the pipe removed, the foot bridge can be seen. It needs a bit (fair bit) of work to bring it up to scratch. Can't see the point, really. The Bailey bridge is good enough. Anyway, enough waffle, on with progress slideshow. Prepping for bridlepath. Further landscaping of east part of Manor lake extension. 19th August 202320/8/2023
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.
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. I should really get down to Manor farm restoration everyday, such is the pace of activity. Since my very early morning Saturday visit, Inert and/or contractors have: Planted reeds around shore of Manor lake extension's channel (deeper, wider bit). I can't tell if the reeds are truly planted or simply plonked on top of the banks and then given a thin covering of soil. Problem is, we are entering a warm period, with temperatures expected to exceed 25 C, possibly hitting 30 C, for two weeks or more. These reeds may die if either water levels are not increased or they are watered almost every day. That's the biggest problem I've seen with restoration, lack of post planting care; particularly of saplings. Fleet Hill farm saw 30%-50% of saplings die in the first year they were planted - mainly because there was a heat wave a week or two after they were planted. Nobody went around with a water bowser to water the saplings. A digger operator was busy at work around the east sluice gate hole. He appeared to be digging a channel or at least extending the one on Manor lake towards the extension. I did say Inert would have to dig out a whole load of ground to create the necessary deeper bits. There was a huge pile of spoil piled up against the northeast edge of Crescent bank. Talking of Crescent bank. I reckon it would make a fabulous site for 340 degree viewing screens and possibly a hide. Access would be via the Bailey bridge and Blackwater footpath. The 20 degrees of non-viewable area simply points back to the Bailey bridge. I've often talked about how one gets a totally different perspective on a reserve by being about 15 feet high. I got superb views when I stomped along the north embankment - before it was demolished. The east part of the north embankment was the best, as it was about 30 feet high. Anyway, Inert have smoothed the west side of Crescent bank or mound. This indicates that this odd feature will remain. Apart from being a great place for an almost all round viewing screen, I can't fathom what else it is for. I have a feeling that Inert have also been fiddling with the channel, certainly near the western sluice gate hole. It looks a bit more worked, since Saturday. One place I could really discern was the last remaining fragment of Cormorant lake (south) where the pump pipe pontoon used to reside. The area looks as if it has been smoothed down, without wholesale infilling. I also think the rough area on the southeast corner of Manor lake extension has also been smoothed down. A maxi digger was at work alongside the south footpath, about 50 yards west of the Bailey bridge. It appeared to have dug up several large concrete blocks, and appeared to be working its way eastward to along the established wooded and reed area next to the Bailey bridge. I do hope this area is not razed. Finally, an orange digger was at work on Chandlers farm. It appeared to be digging up the pipes from the pump station leading to the settlement ponds. |
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November 2025
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