Astonfields Balancing Lakes.

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Talk elsewhere of the housing development made me think that this area needed its own thread.

This operated as a flood storage for many years, but major flooding of Sandon Road after thunderstorms in the late 1980s led to a decision to increase the capacity and improve the dams and spillways. The ponds were dredged, without any material being removed from the site. The increased capacity may have been a little undermined by a lot more hard-standing and large roof areas upstream in the Tollgate area. It is worth popping round and having a look after a deluge - the dams can be quite exciting.

This board greets you as you leave the Isabel Trail at the back of the old Schott factory.

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The view from the old railway over the northern pond.

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And looking east over the northern pond - the water is very shallow, often the ducks appear to be standing on it.

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Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
The new southern pond, created in 1990, has little open water most of the time.

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The new southern dam more than doubled the flash-flood storage capacity.

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A pipe runs through the dam, where the railings are in the distance - this is capable of coping with the general flow-rate, but sudden surges will back up into the volume behind the dam - should the pond fill completely, the excess water will flow over the concrete spillway, thus avoiding eroding the earthen dam structure itself. The northern dam works in the same manner

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Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
The path along the western side of the southern pond.

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There's all sorts of odd stuff in the southern pond - about a sixth of it was avoided in the dredging, as there was a 'saltmarsh' environment.

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You can usually park near the northern dam - in front of the old Schott factory.
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Nice thread and a nice area indeed. But one thing you missed on your pics that council cannot be arsed to clean up is the fly tipped huge amount of carpet at the path entrance from astonfields road and the huge tractor tyre that has been in rearing out from the pond for years :*(
 

staffordjas

Well-Known Forumite
A great area , and I quite often have a walk around there when picking hubby up from work. He's lucky enough to have it on his works doorstep.
 

Sir BoD

Well-Known Forumite
Nice thread and a nice area indeed. But one thing you missed on your pics that council cannot be arsed to clean up is the fly tipped huge amount of carpet at the path entrance from astonfields road and the huge tractor tyre that has been in rearing out from the pond for years :*(
Or, your fellow 'human' beings can't be arsed to take responsibility for their own rubbish and take it to the tip.
 

Obeowen

A few posts under my belt
Nice thread and a nice area indeed. But one thing you missed on your pics that council cannot be arsed to clean up is the fly tipped huge amount of carpet at the path entrance from astonfields road and the huge tractor tyre that has been in rearing out from the pond for years :*(
The tractor tyre still rears
 
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