Yellow vehicle bridge returns. Copse to be razed? Part 1. 3rd September 2022

We had more rain last night and early in the morning. First we've had all week. The drought is still here, but there are signs rains might come next week - 5 days are forecast.

Meteorologists say that we are heading for a triple La Nina event. Usually that means wet autumns and winters for us. We'll see.  The hurricane season hasn't.  Half way through the season and there hasn't been one hurricane to hit the US. Very peculiar. Hurricanes normally bring rain to us. They travel up the east coast of America, cross the Atlantic, and then drop rain on us.  Not this year, they haven't, as no hurricanes have yet formed.

Other news, NASA hope to launch their new SLS rocket, after an abort on Wednesday. A capsule will fly around the moon, and test out various functions.

Back to the blog.

I've had a much closer examination of the latest plans I have for the site. I get the feeling that if these are accurate final plans (I have major reservations about this, especially with the banking around the main reed bed) then it looks as if not only will the last fragment of the Colebrook not be retained and plumbed into the drainage system, but also much of the copse will be demolished.

I think this is both very sad and very odd.  It is very sad as the copse is the last fragment of the original Manor farm south of the lower Finchampstead road. The copse is well loved and used by many, many animals, and provides a starter culture for many fungi.  It is very odd in that Cemex and Inert have gone to great lengths, over many decades to retain the copse.

I really, really, really hope they do not demolish the copse.

Inert have completed demolition of the southern half of the western embankment. It's all lovely and flat, right up to the Blackwater footpath. There are clear views of Manor farm, currently. These might disappear if horrible, thick woodland is planted along the edge of the nascent reserve - like Moor Green Lakes, where it is almost impossible to see the lakes along much of its boundary.

One intrepid bulldozer driver has been busy smearing topsoil over the north western half of the site, and smoothing the rough bumps alongside the Longwater road. Shame a whole load of topsoil was dumped here, just where a car park is supposed to be built.

Very little remains of the western half of the North embankment. Only a tiny knoll, close to the Ridge.  I will be very disappointed with Inert if they do not flatten this last remnant and start on both the ridge and the eastern north embankment this coming week.