The Lake and Fountain area

The area to the South of the site of the Hall, between the house and the lake, has  remained largely untouched, apart from limited use for raising pheasants and occasional duck shoots, for ninety years. What were originally rose gardens and formal walks soon became overgrown, largely by sycamore, elder ivy and nettles, and the lake, the footbridge and ornamental features were buried beneath undergrowth and fallen trees.

The lake in 1901, showing the bridge.

In January 2016 the current owner of the estate, Sir Edward Greenwell, began work on an ambitious project to restore some of the historical features of the estate and gardens. Work began on dredging the lake and then opening up the woodland with selective felling and woodland management to recreate some of the rides and clearings that had existed to the South of the Hall. Just to the South of the Italian Garden there is an ornamental pond, of some 10m diameter, with a fountain in the centre consisting of four dolphins, each supporting a cherub, on top of which is the fountain itself. The whole structure is made of stone, and stands about 2m high.
Sir Edward has given permission for local residents to work on the restoration of this fountain, and that will be the main focus of  this blog, as well as the development of the woodland restoration as a whole, in terms of historical features, ecology and habitat creation.

                                       The fountain in 2006 - hidden in the woods