John's Blog

Before work began on the major part of the restoration, we spent several weeks in February clearing trees that had been clear felled from the base of what was once pool seven, long since drained.

Contractors had carried out the tree felling.

We were left to collect up the fallen trunks and brash, along with old dead wood.

Over a couple of volunteer days we managed to burn it all and leave the base of the pool clear.

In April we were back once more to replanted the wild daffodils that had become established in the base of the old drained pool.

Knowing that the pool would cover the display of natural daffodils. We set about re-planting them.

We had to wait until April so as to see where they all were

We managed to move most of them to a level above the intended water line and we hope they will be on display on the edge of the pool next year.

The full scale restoration began in July this year 2019.

A solid block of concrete had been installed possibly in about 1938 as a temporary repair.

The new spillway has been designed so as to cope with serious flood events of the future.

The foundation for this required many weeks work and it was interesting to see it all taking shape.

Re-profiling the dam where the large spillway was to be built required many weeks of clearing away temporary repairs dating for about the 1930s and bringing in and laying tons of clay before the job of laying down the stone work.

It wasn’t always sunny rain interfered with progress

By early to mid October all seemed set.

The end of October and the Birch Brothers who had undertaken the restoration had just left the site when we had two days of torrential rain.

The day after the rain, pool seven was full for the first time for mat be forty or fifty years.

Water gushing out of springs higher up the valley was now flowing into the pool and over both spillways and the sound of rushing water could be heard up and down the Valley.