For over five years the Friends of Grovelands Park have wanted to create a much needed Wildlife pond in the park. The aim is to reclaim an area of overgrown scrub land and to create an aesthetically pleasing natural Wild Life pond feature in our Historic Heritage Park, for the benefit of all park users but especially children. The Park already has a beautiful lake as originally laid out by Repton but this is totally unsuitable for children to access the water for wild life dipping projects. A smaller wildlife pond is a much needed feature to be fed by the natural stream that was opened up by LBE and Thames Twenty One, when the reed beds were created about 10 years ago.
By submitting numerous time consuming detailed proposals we applied for various grants, such as the Mayors fund , the Heritage Lottery Fund, The GLA Grow Back Greener Fund and the Jubilee Fund but with Covid and money scarce all failed , even though everyone thought it was a good idea.
When the original work was done about 10 years ago to open the stream we were told that, in the place where the steam meanders and it gets boggy, a natural pond would occur but it did not happen and so it would now need digging out and building properly from scratch.
However, since we started trying to get funding for this ambitious project a substantial expensive element has already been achieved by the completion and building of the extended boardwalk last year. After numerous conversations between representatives of LBE and Michael McDonagh from The Friends of The Park and after a site visit last year we are were delighted to be told by Marcus Harvey, the Head of Parks and Open Space, that LBE will complete the project, dig out the pond and build the dipping platform with board walk connections. This is such good news for Grovelands Park and is much appreciated. It is anticipated that work will commence after April in the next financial period and hopefully will be completed as a legacy in the Park to mark the King’s Coronation.
Local School Educational projects and families will be then be able to utilise the area and the newly installed dipping platform for the exploration of wild life and nature, The improved boardwalk paths will further create for the first time access for disabled visitors and those with buggies , to be able to visit and enjoy this wetland glade part of the park. The natural pond fed by the running water of the stream with new planting will create a haven for birds and other wildlife in the park.
This permanent feature will mean that generations of families will be able to come in all seasons to safely enjoy the nature of this natural space in the woods, a fitting legacy to mark the Coronation of a King, who is so committed to wild life and nature.
