BISHOPS WALTHAM NORTH POND CONSERVATION GROUP
Photos: 
2011 work parties:
2010 work parties:
Work Parties are continuing through Spring 2013
If you can attend then please call David Mclean or Barry Jerome who organise the work parties (see 'contacts' on the home page) to add your name to the volunteer list, or just turn up on the day.Work parties are scheduled weekly and an email is sent out to volunteers with the plans for the following Saturday. If bad weather is expected then the workparty may be cancelled. They are morning work parties starting at 10am for 2 to 2.5 hours. Meet at the Corhampton Road lay-by at 10am.
We have found that 2 to 2.5 hours is an optimum amount of time for a work party. They are normally held at the weekend, but occasionally we may have a mid-week work party if sufficient volunteers are available
When attending a work party please wear gloves to protect your hands, suitable old clothes and stout shoes or boots.
Work party volunteers will also be asked to sign an attendance sheet at the start of each session. This is necessary to ensure that you are covered by our insurance during the workparty
The work completed in autumn/winter 2011/12:
- Cleared the undergrowth north of the footbridge in the channel and up to the fences of the houses
on St. Bonnet Drive. Continued down the channel to the sluice by B2177 (Winchester Road)
- Trimmed back willow regrowth from last years work parties. Cut any damaged/ fallen branches or
trees in the central area of the pond
- Dug a pilot hole in the silt at the end of the pond near the sluice to gather information for the
proposal to remove silt from this end of the pond
- Trimmed the trees to open up the viewing area from the lay-by so that views are possible to the
Palace ruins
Most of the work parties in the autumn/winter 2011/2012 work plan concentrated on clearing the channel
Before we started:
Volunteers in action:
The results:
Saturday March 12th 10.00am - Work was started on the viewing area near the lay-by. The plan is to open up the views across the pond to the Palace ruins and to install a new seat to sit on to appreciate the views. The work is in two stages, some of it can be completed while there is water in the pond, the rest will need to be completed when the pond is dry again in late summer.
Saturday February 19th 10.00am - The accumulating logs and debris were cleared from the area around the sluice. The wood had been carried down by the strong flow. Most of the logs cleared had been in the pond for some time (years) as they were partially rotten. Few, if any, resulted from the autumn workparties as that had been burnt or secured into log piles
A few photos from 2010 work parties:
You will notice that a lot of work has been done since these pictures were taken in early October 2010
Before and after - work near the footbridge==>
Some of the volunteers:
