2018 Taking back control.

Work continued over three visits in 2018. Inevitably each visit began by clearing growth since the last visit, but the positive sign is that the woodchip paths laid in 2017 remained clear of regrowth, which shows the way forward.

Woodchip arrives to create the paths

The black plastic which had been laid over the  areas immediately surrounding the fountain were removed to allow the completion of the pathways. 5 cubic metres of woodchip arrived near the garages, and was transferred by wheelbarrow to cover the paths, on top of weed resistant gauze.

The plastic was relaid 3 metres further out from the fountain to control an area 6 metres wide. The plastic will stay in place until 2019, by which time the nettles beneath will have died, and I can begin to think about planting.  At the same time new paths were established leading away from the fountain towards the lake, and towards the Italian garden. In both cases I have tried as far as possible to locate paths in the places indicated on the 1925 Ordanance Survey  map, the first produced since the fountain was installed around 1909.

Summer 2018

As for the fountain itself, I have found the overflow pipes that lead away from the fountain towards the east, but despite digging a couple of trenches I cannot find inlet pipes which may have come from the hall or from the lake. Nevertheless in August 2018 the fountain was again working in two different ways. I have a solar pump which can raise water from the pond to the 3 metre height required and produce a continuous drip around the edges (Amazingly this shows that the bowl is still level despite having several trees drop on to it over the 120 years it has been there.) I can also produce a more active fountain through the use of a hose. In the end a submerged circulating pump could do this too.

The Summer of 2018 was hot and evaporation continues to be great. I have not yet managed to perfect a top-up system from the garage roofs which will supply enough water.

As 2018 neared its end we planted around 300 spring bulbs to find out more about what muntjack would and would not eat!