Fencing and hedging the pond 2001 (photos)

Fencing and hedging the pond 2001 (photos)

There had been temporary fencing around the pond since its construction, in summer 1998. The area had been closed to the public all that time - officially, at any rate. (Local children and dogs had been slipping through the fence from the first but we expected that.)

It was always in the plan that the pond would be partly open to people and in September 2001 we began work on this. This first step was to put up post-and-rail fencing to funnel visitors to the bridge and viewing platform.

The chestnut paling released by doing this went to form a backstop, on the other side of the bridge. We still need to dissuade humans from going on the bunds, which are there for other creatures' benefit. You can see the result below.

A view from the north-west, into the pond and wetland, showing the new post-and-rail fencing

A view of the short stretch of hedge planted on the north-eastern boundary of the pond and wetland

We intend to remove all the chestnut paling eventually and are therefore putting in hedging alongside it. Once the hedges have grown enough to form a barrier, we can get rid of the paling.

We had made a start on this in National Tree Week 1999. Here is how that stretch of hedge looked in late summer 2001.

Volunteers surprised in their work of planting hedge species on the eastern boundary of the pond and wetland

For National Tree Week 2001, we extended the planting all the way around the front and side of the site.

Here are some of our ever-reliable volunteers at work putting in the plants. They look almost guilty at being found doing so!

As you would expect, we used native plant species for the hedge. We had to buy them in this year (from English Woodlands) but they are of certified English origin. We put in more than 400 plants, including Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Dogwood, Guelder Rose, Spindle, Buckthorn, Crab Apple and Dog Rose. Together they should give plenty of colour.

Other volunteers planting the hedge on the north-eastern boundary of the pond and wetland

These volunteers are putting in a longer stretch of hedging, inside the fence.

The new post-and-rail shows up well. We'll probably train climbing and trailing plants along it.

Most of the activity this year was in Centenary Fields, which is why you don't see so many people as usual in these photos. Our neighbours were being presented with a plaque to celebrate their declaration as a Local Nature Reserve. They also were doing some planting. To make an excellent day complete, they were having some hedges laid by the South of England Hedgelaying Society, who did the work on the reserves two years previously (see here).

Professor Grenville Lucas and David Netherclift looking at the pond and wetland

Contemplating the pond are Professor Grenville Lucas (left), who earlier had made the presentation, and David Netherclift, one of the Centenary Fields committee. Professor Lucas is on the National Council of English Nature, which runs the Local Nature Reserves scheme.