A weekly post to update you on what has happened in Poole Park this week, and what to expect next week.
A busy and interesting week began last Saturday with a well attended guided walk, over 50 people enjoying what turned in to a 2 hour guided walk of Poole Park, looking in detail at the various improvements, snippets of park history and detail on things like local drainage (or lack of), the wildlife in the lagoon, construction methods and much more. Thanks to all those who came along and braved the strong winds across the lagoon. We will programme some more in as the improvements start to conclude, in late March/early April, keep an eye on the calendar!
Ebsford Environmental have been progressing the improvements through the week and will be on site all weekend too. The freshwater lake landscaping is starting to come together, lines of rock boulders taken from the old planting beds are forming the edges of paths at the back of The Ark (photo below left). A new planting scheme will be introduced that will allow views across the lake whilst providing colour and horticultural interest.
A new lake edge is being constructed with Gabion baskets (photo below right). Broad, shallow gabion mattresses were first installed and the gabion baskets are now sat on top and being filled with the reclaimed crazy paving that previously provided the path surface around the lakes.
And it has been an interesting week out in the lagoon. Work has started in earnest to dredge sediment near the sluice channel, two large excavators moving material in to dumper trucks, and relocating it to the existing islands near to The Kitchen restaurant and what will become the new wildlife zone in the corner nearest the freshwater lake.
The plant being used is specialist machinery and has been coping very well with the difficult working conditions. Unfortunately on Thursday the large dumper truck became stuck in one of the ‘haul roads’, the route that is being used to transport the sediment along. Ebsford are well practised in these environments and at the time of writing efforts were being made to free the truck and re-start operations. Working in these conditions is challenging, with unknown depths of sediment with variable composition, from clay to sand to runny toothpaste!
The existing islands and new features are starting to be formed with the sediment. We are retaining the 5 existing islands that were designed to replicate those in the harbour, and creating two new wildlife zones to provide new habitat for birds and increase opportunities for public engagement with the wildlife.
On Thursday we had about 40 people come along and help us litter pick the edges of the lagoon, as ever we found a wide array of rubbish, the usual carrier bags, crisp wrappers and loads of bottles, but also an umbrella, some clothing, carpet and a wallet with cards and cash in – the new £5 notes certainly work as with a little cleaning it will still be fit for use despite over a year in the mud and water! We will try and re-unite it with its owner. A huge thank you to all those who braved the mud to help improve the lagoon.
Work is also progressing at the sluice bridge. The brick piers have been carefully taken apart and the new piers are already rising from the abutments. Stone cap stones and plinths are being prepared to replicate the original features which have badly deteriorated since their construction in the late 1800’s (photo below left). The top of the brick-lined channel has been re-pointed and replacement brick used to provide a new level to support beams that will be cast next week. These beams will in turn support the new bridge, expected to be installed around late May.
Next week will see the items mentioned above all progress:
- Gabion baskets will be filled and wired shut ready to have Purbeck stone copings set on top in the weeks to come
- The planting beds will continue to be shaped to the right line and level, ready to then have new paths and (in time) the new railway line constructed next to it.
- More lagoon dredging and moving of sediments
- Cill beams will be installed either side of the sluice channel, effectively two long pads of concrete with reinforcing bar that is designed to support the new bridge.
And finally, this week’s featured image at the top isn’t a sunset, but sunrise over Poole Park on Monday morning. The team were out early to undertake some work to one of the manholes near the freshwater lake at low tide in the harbour to make sure water couldn’t back up from keyhole bridge and Whitecliff road. This allowed the contractors to install the gabion mattresses with the pumps over the road reducing the water levels.
We hope you are enjoying seeing work progress and that you agree the disturbance in the park will be worth it in the long run. Thanks for reading.