- Most of the huge clay pit was filled by tipping of debris from building and civil engineering works (carried out by or for Rushmoor Borough Council), and road sweepings. There was also a considerable amount of illegal dumping (fly-tipping), which may have been condoned in order to hasten the filling. The filled area was, for some time used as a Council store yard for unwanted materials.
- From the start the Country Park was planned as a natural but managed piece of wild countryside.
- The water source was ground water, discharging from a pipe outlet into a ditch that runs down the west side of the park. This pipe outlet is believed to be from a gathering of land drains and spring water in the area of dwellings known as the "Crown Estate", and which was formerly farm land.
- A pipeline was laid from the North Wwest corner of the park to the North West corner of the pond and was connected to the pipe outlet (3. above). This diverted virtually all of the water from the Northern end of the ditch to the pond. leaving the ditch virtually dry. A very large oil interceptor (separating chamber) was incorporated in this new pipeline to ensure the "health" of the pond, pond life and water plants. At the point where this new pipe discharged into the pond a substantial head wall, with scour apron. was constructed.
- At the south-west end of the pond, an outfall head wall was built and a new pipeline laid to carry the pond "overflow" west to connect with an existing large drain. The ditch, mentioned above discharges, through debris grilles, into this same existing large pipe which then runs south with the cart track (Frog Lane) and eventually to the Blackwater River. The debris grilles were repaired and improved at about the time of the creation of the park, perhaps earlier. In winter, the ditch carries spring water through the grilles and into the existing large pipe. The spring water emerges at the south-east corner of the Highfield Gardens properties.
Back
Site design ©1999-2008  -  |
