During the summer, information boards and seats have appeared around Radley Lakes. This information board and these seats are in Barton Fields.
The Radley Lakes area was farmland, which the railway passed through. From 1955 major gravel extraction began. Some of the pits filled with water, others were filled with fuel ash from Didcot power station and are now covered with trees and sedges. The Abingdon railway branch closed and became part of a national cycle path.
There are new seats with a view of the largest lake, Thrupp Lake.
How many sorts of bird can you see in this picture?
Swans were waterweed dipping nearby.
Coots were waterweed diving near the wooden walkway in one corner of Thrupp Lake. The surface is covered with feathers in this corner, or perhaps they are flying seeds.
In another corner a colony of water lilies bloomed.
On the other side of the national cycle path, Orchard Lake has dried up this summer.
You can see an adult heron and a young heron at the end of Orchard Lake. The other young flew off.
This is a hi-jack … but should be of interest here.
From today’s Guardian online:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/16/ofwat-chief-defends-water-companies-over-lack-of-new-reservoirs
Excerpts:
“David Black, the chief executive of Ofwat …
… Many have also criticised water companies as no new major reservoir has been built since privatisation in the 1980s, but Black said they were not needed. He said: “The reason there were no reservoirs is that demand had actually fallen over that period.”
So, that’s any argument for a Steventon resevoir cut off at the ankles.
There are numerous arguments against it already…not surprised there’s yet another.
Happy to hear the reasons ‘for’ of course, but they either don’t stack up under scrutiny, or don’t exist…
Sorry…I’m just being as impartial Sir John Armitt, the chair of the UK’s National Infrastructure Commission…who also has shared or vested interests in large civil engineering contractors (who might be involved in building things like…erm… reservoirs).
Still…like I said…let’s hear the arguments ‘for’…
Amazing. The transformation from the late 8o’s is fantastic. The old gravel pits and surrounding area were full of old burnt out cars back then. Thank you to all that helped with the transformation.