A local voluntary group has been working to restore the neglected pond near Wilmslow Leisure Centre.
The project was led by the Wilmslow Partnership, which was formed with the objective of attracting investment into the town, and made possible by using external grant funding and volunteer labour.
Ruth McNulty, Chair of the Partnership, explained "The Partnership identified this project as a priority and one that would benefit from grant-funded investment. We were delighted to be successful in winning an award from the Tesco 'Bags of Help' scheme last year. With this funding in place and with advice on hand from Cheshire East Rangers, we have been able to make a substantial improvement to this previously neglected part of the town.
"We are structured to be flexible so that we have been able to stretch the reach of the original grant by attracting considerable volunteer labour and a generous gift of an all-weather path, laid by a builder working locally. Our aim was and is to make this attractive and accessible as a local amenity and to bring wildlife back both to the water and its surrounds."
The project is not yet complete. The dense wildflower planting will come into first flower in three or four weeks time. Thereafter, if the elements are kind, there should be a succession of colour for many months. The three benches will also be replaced and bird and bat boxes will be fixed high in the trees very shortly.
Ruth McNulty, added "The Partnership is driven by a small team of people including the Chairman of the Business Group, the Town Clerk and the former Town Centres Manager. It is currently working with three other voluntary groups to help realise their ambitions by attracting external funding. We would welcome the thoughts of other local groups on additional projects that could benefit the town."
Comments
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It is great that Wilmslow Partnership are undertaking such projects.
I suspect (but have no evidence to prove) that the "Rectory Stables" (let's not go there) were more likely to have been something to do with this mystery building, as they are closer to it than the rectory.
I look forward to seeing the ducks back again- they left the area when the BP garage/M&S building work disturbed their quiet life.
I have a copy of the 1910 map, based on 1871/72 surveys, that indicates the pond and 'old stables' as they are today. The 1842 tithe map has a hatched line around the pond position, does not show the 'old stables' but does show the 'substantial building' as referred to above.
When the pond was being planted it was found that the pond base was solid. That is most unusual. The speculation is that this could well have been a 'carters pond' with the works being in either the 'substantial building' or the 'old stables'.
Can anyone throw any light on this?
Would like to get involved in this type of stuff - please let me know how i can do so
Thanks
Please contact Matthew the clerk to WTC
To the east and slightly north is the building you are talking about. By the 1898 map it appears to have shrunk to less than half its 1874 size (one of the greenhouses has also got a lot bigger), and by the time of the next map a decade or so later it has gone completely.
By my reading it appears to be on the maps based on the1871/72 surveys but not on the 1842 tithe map. Any help on this would be useful.
Visitors may have noticed the crack in the wall, near the mayfly chain-saw sculpture, that is being assessed and if necessary will be rebuilt. When the large section further along was rebuilt it was found that there were no foundations.