The day started wet, and we expected to retreat early cold and soggy. So we were pleasantly surprised by the lovely autumnal afternoon. Our decision to make a start on the pond work in September proved to be very wise. The water levels today, after all the rain, meant it was not possible to get in the deep end, even with our waders. However, that didn’t mean we weren’t busy. We managed to thoroughly empty the silt traps, and repair the wooden support of the banking adjacent to them. This required felling of a few sycamores to use the timber, but it will also allow a little more light in the pond.
We dug out mud and shale from the pond, along the channel and an area of mud that has not become vegetated. There still seems to be some leakage through the dam wall, but now it seems ot be coming from the otherside…
The people afraid of the mud (!) undertook some useful work on the paths, digging off areas of leaf mould that leads to slippery sections of path.