About a week after volunteer work at the lily pond in August, the heavens opened for days on end and helpfully began to complement our work on restoration. By the start of this month, the pond has really begun to recover some of its water, despite the reeds already having begun a resurgence. There was never an expectation, or immediate desire, to see the reeds eradicated, but they were in need of better management to help protect the pond. This and the removal of many of the trees has put the brakes on the speed of decline for a little while longer.
Fuller still, the level of the water on 4th October.
There were some herculean efforts put in last month from a crowd of volunteers, over a dozen, and we managed to make serious restoration progress on the historic lily pond on Napier Miles Road. There were two objectives the work; firstly, the cutting-down or rooting-up of trees and vegetation that has grown to suffocate the pond, and to enable a clearer survey of the condition of the pond walls and bottom.
Even after a long dry Summer, it was a surprise to find no open water at all in the pond tank! The vegetation has acted to soak up much more water than would be usual, and the ground was relatively firm across the whole area.
Volunteers rake-up the cut rubbish in an effort to clear the historic lily pond.
The target to cut and remove the vegetation was only just met by the end of the day, the hot conditions meaning volunteers tired quickly despite the great turnout. The waste was lifted to the pond edges and stacked in existing piles of debris up and away from the water line. Sadly, there was little sign of any of the 49 individual native pond species recorded here in 2012 as part of our Bioblitz. There were two types of reeds, sporadic water lily plants, some froglets, and an invasion of sallow trees, but nothing that indicates a thriving environment.
Before and after work focussed on reversing the decline of the Georgian pond.
A volunteer inspects the trial hole dug through the decaying vegetation to find the pond base.
Initial review showed the original hydraulic lining applied to the pond walls has dried and begun disintegrating, allowing water to leak away around the edges. We dug a small trial hole to establish the depth and condition of the lining of the pond. Digging down through an astonishing 18 inches of black sloppy rotting organic material, we encountered the original clay bottom of the pond.
In the area inspected, this looked to be in a decent wet condition, but where areas dry out in the summer, any cracked clay base or root damage will also be letting the water leak away. The hole we dug filled with water during the afternoon, showing that even though it looks like a field right now, the water is still close to the surface.
A quick calculation suggests there are around 350 cubic metres of mud needing clearing out to start restoration of the pond lining. This could equate to about 340 tons of black gunk that need removing from the pond!
We’re grateful too for the incredible positive reaction to this work, and the kind words of support we’ve received; more than for any other project we’ve undertaken on the estate!
The view from the road before and after restoration workThe dense monoculture of reeds is cut out to slow the decline in the pond’s condition.
The Council’s Nature Nurture events happen across parks in the north of the city every Friday. A number of these have focussed on nature conservation work around the Kings Weston estate and included several opportunities for scything.
A few regular KWAG volunteers came out for the two events last month focussing on the grassland on Penpole Point, joined by Council rangers and new volunteers.
Scything isn’t something KWAG has put on before, so it was interesting learning to use different tools and techniques to help maintain the important grasslands. Over two of the Friday sessions we got to grips with the area sown with wildflower meadow five years ago, raking-off the cut material to keep the grassland healthy. The area around the ruins of Penpole Lodge were also tended to, but the encroachment of brambles and elm runners remains an issue.
the area around the 17th Century dial before and after scything and raking.
The Nature Nurture team also hope to focus on the two ponds close to the Echo, brining a corporate group of volunteers to help clear in and around it, and set up a post and wire fence to keep dogs and debris from finding their way into the pools instead of the wildlife hoped for.
The Council are also looking at thinning some of the self-seeded trees from around the pond, trees that undermined KWAGs last effort to clear them by overshadowing them and filling them with dead leaves in Autumn. We hope everyone will appreciate the efforts now being put into increasing the biodiversity of this part of the historic parkland. If you have any concerns or queries, please email us and we can pass them on.
The current sorry state of the ponds below the Echo.
It was one of the hottest days of the year when we met in July for volunteer work in Penpole Woods. Not only was it hot, but the chosen location was distant from all of the usual meeting points. The area, deep in Penpole Wood, was at the bottom of the steps we rebuilt about ten years ago. Until last month they deposited the visitor into a thicket of cherry laurel.
Animated transition showing the view from the bottom of the Penpole Wood steps.
Already, someone had been trying to keep the paths there open, taking out branches overhanging the path, but our ambitions were somewhat greater. Considering the forecast, we had a good turnout, and thank you to all our regulars who made it. We started with the knowledge we’d cut things short to avoid the worst of the heat, but the shady area on the north-facing slope gave us some respite from the worst of it.
The impact of work turned out to be more incredible than expected. A relatively dense cherry laurel gave way quickly, revealing a number of handsome mature trees that hadn’t really been noticeable at the start of work; If we’d have spotted them earlier, we might have been a bit more careful over the location of spoil piles and their visibility.
Animated transition showing the view eastwards along the middle path.
By the end of the day, the section of the middle path we worked on was unrecognisable. Now, coming off the end of the steps, the scene opens out into a light clearing with a backdrop of fine trees. The route up from Lawrence Weston has been cleared of a lot of obstacles and joins the middle path at a junction at the stone steps. Hopefully the path remains traceable through the stone rubble.
We had planned to return here this month to continue work, but an urgent matter has cropped up at the Lilypond. September will be Heritage Open Day, and October is usually the Big Bulb Plant, so continuing the work may take longer than planned.
Looking west along the middle path before and after work clearing cherry laurelThe three stone steps between the middle path and main steps appear from beneath the cherry laurel.
Worked carried on into July to clear the regrown cherry laurel in Penpole Wood. Most visitors will see little change from the recent work much is hidden well back from the main path through the woods. However, the impact of cherry laurel on the native woodland is severe if it’s let get out hand.
looking west through the wood before and after the re-trimming of the cherry laurel.
Since we cleared the area in 2016 there has been a lot of regrowth, particularly on the harder to reach area along the top of the former quarry. Because the laurel has historically stunted tree growth in the area an opening had developed in the tree canopy and Brambles had begun to colonise the area aided by the catenary of laurel stems; in short, the area was in a big mess again.
the view east through the working party area.
A relatively small group of volunteers, a usual state of affairs for the holiday season, set about putting things in order and extending the areas cleared in the last few months. Cherry laurel has been felled again, untangled from the brambles and stacked out of the way. More of the saplings planted in 2016 have also been revealed again in thriving condition. Whilst there remain some laurel bushes to the periphery of the area, ones we had neither time nor energy to tackle on a hot day, there’s not enough to occupy a full working party. These will be left for the moment while we focus on new areas.
looking up slope from the edge of the old quarry and towards the main Penpole Wood path.
Our gradual passage back through Penpole Wood continued last month, retracing our steps with removing cherry laurel. Having built-up momentum on this job since April we’ve continued westwards through the woodland, tracking along the top edge of the former quarry.
Animated image showing the same area before and after work. This view looks back towards Kings Weston house, with the main path just out of sight behind the trees on the right.
The sunnier Summer months are best spent labouring in the relative shade, the heat usually tiring our team of volunteers quicker. Despite the warm conditions, we tackled a large portion of the laurel that had regrown to considerable height in some areas. Over the last eight or nine years, the laurel had bushed-out with some areas with very dense coverage.
Looking south, upslope from the edge of the historic quarry. Many of the liberated saplings can be identified.
The are was planted with saplings following our original work, and we’re glad to say that there were many left, albeit somewhat overshadowed by their more established and overpowering neighbours. This work will help protect the progress we made and allow these saplings to bring greater biodiversity into this part of the woods.
The flat area adjacent to the main path through Penpole Woods was less choked than the top of the quarry. The path can be seen passing in the background after volunteers removed the invasive laurel.
As working parties draw to a close on a Saturday afternoon, sometimes we’ve not managed to complete what we might have hoped; bits get left behind as we move on to other parts of the estate. Last month’s volunteer work tackled three such areas at the very heart of the parkland close to The Circle.
We’ve had several working parties along the north edge of the ancient lime Avenue, mainly around 2016-17. These focussed on natural spacing and the chore of removing over-mature laurels. The areas left included some dense and challenging laurels, not reason for us to have neglected them the first time, but enough to keep us occupied for a full working party this time around.
With the cherry laurel removed, the woodland opens out onto the ancient lime avenue beyond.
One area was just to the north of the ancient Lime Avenue, and work here gave us the added opportunity to reinforce the line of the path through trimming snowberry bushes. The second area included a concrete base to a WWII Nissen hut, one that was joined formerly by many others hidden in the trees. The final area bordered the Quarry garden on its eastern end and a forest of mock orange bushes, part of historic planting, to the east. An added challenge in the last area was tidying a fallen tree that had blocked one of the well used paths in this area.
The central of three locations tackled last month, directly on the main path into the woods. The WWII base appears from below the invasive cherry laurel.
Split into three adjacent groups, a good turnout of volunteers saw work progress quickly from east to west. We usually lose people in the afternoons as they get tired or need to get onto other things but still managed to extend the area tackled westwards and begin trimming of laurel regrowth that has begun to regain a foothold above the quarry. By about 2pm we had achieved everything on our agenda and more!
It was interesting to uncover the base of the WWII Nissen Hut and its features, more of that later. The historic area of Mock Orange is now more visible, framed by the less invasive Portuguese laurels we’ve left in place. For the intrepid, there’s the opportunity to try and trace the line of the lost Victorian path that once ran through the back of this area, now freed from the choking embrace of cherry laurels.
The third location, close to the east end of the quarry garden, and looking up-slope towards the main path through the woods.
October’s Big Bulb Plant at the Iron Bridge has come good with a sensational display this Spring. The heavy work preparing the ground and digging holes through rubble was definitely worth the effort; the visual impact speaks for itself!
A panorama looking down and across the slope towards Shirehampton Road with the bridge on the left. The City boundary marker is now surrounded by flowers.
Both sides of the Iron Bridge looked phenomenal in the Spring sun during March, though flowers are just going over now. We hope that everyone who contributed to the bulb plant will have had the chance to go up, take a look and enjoy the display. It certainly seems to have attracted a lot of attention.
John Loudon McAdam’s iron bridge is now set in a sea of gold on the Kingsweston Hill side
This October we hope to give daffodils a rest. The cultivated blooms are not suitable for many parts of the historic estate and we’re keen to diversify into more native species. As part of the Nature Conservation plan being developed by the Council we hope to agree suitable species and locations that will both ornament the estate and improve its appeal for nature.
The northern approach to the bridge on the Kingsweston Hill side.
The issues of invasive cherry laurel are well known; outcompeting native species, leaching toxins into the soil, and contributing to soil erosion, are just three reasons that many hundreds of hours of volunteer work have been devoted to its removal. Whilst it was once maintained as a decorative landscaping plant, it’s now run wild and is having a seriously detrimental impact on the woodland and the soil.
the cherry laurel regrowth long the mid-18th Century pleasure walk
The last two working parties this year returned to the area on the north-east side of the Echo path, sections of the estate we originally felled laurel in around nine years ago. Whilst much was poisoned by the Council in the wake of our work, the areas closer to Kings Weston house weren’t treated and have more quickly regrown. This was the target of March’s working party.
With a good team of volunteers, we carried on the surgical removal of the laurel whilst leaving the native species that have begun to recolonise the area. Starting from the twin ponds, work progressed downhill throughout the day though, sadly, we didn’t manage to clear as far as the boundary with the house; this was left for a few volunteers to clear away later.
The area behind the two ponds before and after volunteer work. Many native bulbs were planted here in the autumn of 2014, many of which had been hidden.
In the process of opening the area back up many of the saplings and native bulbs planted in the area have been revealed. In February we found the snowdrops lost beneath the laurel growth, and last month the bluebells and miniature daffodils were rediscovered, now better able to reach the sun! Eventually, when the laurel toxins have eventually leached out of the soil and the forest floor has matured further, it will ensure that rainwater run-off from the slope will be more effectively captured.
the view from the pleasure walk along the garden edge looking towards the main Echo path and the lawns beyond.
It’s always lovely to meet new volunteers, and we welcome those who turned up last month to lend a hand with keeping on top of the cherry laurel regrowth close to the Echo. It’s been eleven years since we began cutting this invasive shrub away in this area. Thanks to the Council following-through with poisoning of the stumps the growth has been seriously retarded, but eleven years is still a long time to go without any re-cutting.
Looking downhill towards Kings Weston house, an area first cleared in 2014.
Some areas had started to become quite overgrown with laurel, and there was a need for care in cutting them out. Dozens of saplings, planted by KWAG not long after we cleared, survive and have begun to thrive. It was important that none were accidentally lopped off in the process!
The target was to clear everything between the Echo and the two ponds. Most of this was achieved, but we fell slightly short for want of volunteers to help in the afternoon. Nevertheless, only small areas immediately around the pond remain to be done this month.
Looking up the slope with The Echo revealed in the distance after laurel clearance work.
One unforeseen bonus of our work has been the revealing of some of the native bulbs planted in the area as part of one of our early big Bulb Plants. Groups of Snowdrops and native daffodils were discovered cowering under the cherry laurel and bramble, hopefully now more able to survive.
Another task performed on the day was the pushing back of the cherry laurel margins alongside the boundary wall and road. We’re keen not to lose all of these and expose walkers to the traffic, but there was a good deal to cut that had begun to grow back across the path again. Unfortunately, we have an incomplete set of before-and-after photos, but we’re returning this weekend, so we’ll provide more of an update next month.
The view looking back towards the house looking down the pleasure walk leading behind the woods from the Echo.
