In my home town of Swindon in Wiltshire, England there is a public park close to the centre of town called Queens Park. During my school and college years my family lived close by. In the summer months, particularly during the periods of school and college holidays it would be a favourite location for courting couples and groups of flirtatious teenagers whose only interest was to find a partner and join the courting couples community! I remember the heady, flower and shrub scented ambience of the park being further propelled into a dreamy unrealism by these hormone driven teenage advenures.
Now some 40 years later my mother still lives in that same family house and on my visits there I occasionally pick up community news sheets that stir those teenage memories enough for me to want to revisit the park and write about those previous visits all those years ago.
One of the news sheets reports an incident that I remember well. The incident, some 27 years later has finally been addressed in a 21st century style eco centric style.
The main feature of the park is a sizeable lake that is home to a wide range birds (Swans being the most prominent), fish (no fishing allowed) and reptiles (allegedly). To the south side of the lake is the incline of a hill that rises into the ‘Old Town’ area of Swindon. During 1984 a landslip occured. It was caused by a combination of heavy rain and the unfortunate soil content of the hillside. Layers of clay became unstable in the heavy rain and one slipped over the other to engulf a considerable part of the south side of the park around the lake. From that day til 2011 a complete walk around the lake has been impossible due to the danger of further slippage.
During April 2011 the walk has re-opened. An extensive drainage system has been installed throughout the area of the land slippage to prevent a re-occurence of the 1984 event. At a starting point near to the cafe one can take the 550 metre walk completely around the lake past the hill known as Land Slip hill, across the grassed area, around the north side of the lake most popular with the water bird feeders and back over the bridge.
Through the area past Land Slip Hill the newly laid woodchip footpath allows people to walk around the lake edge but has left the wildlife undisturbed in the deeper thicket and the hillside has become a haven for the many species of wildlife, which include foxes and badgers. Some of the timber cut down to clear the path has been stacked as woodpiles used to encourage insect life. These insects will provide food for the nesting birds which will live in the 36 nest boxes placed in the trees. The stone dragged up from the lake edge had been placed in in the the open canopies allowing reptiles, especially grass snakes to bask in the the midday sunshine . A few benches are planned around the path so everyone can enjoy the view across the lake.
The work has been deployed with great attention to minimising cost. The woodchip comes from the tree gang cutting and the pruning of street trees in nearby areas of Swindon. Path laying and scub clearance is undertaken by volunteers co-ordinated by Swindon Borough Council’s Ranger Team. The nest boxes are made and installed by volunteers. Donations are still being sought to help pay for the rustic benches which will also be installed by volunteers.
Photo(s) to follow.
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