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Home >> Lakes
>> The Build
Building Angel of the North Fishing Lakes
From the opening date of April 30th 2005 it will have been 47 months since first starting down the road of research & development, design, planning permission, construction, planting, landscaping, and of course stocking the Angel of the North Fishing Lakes.
The project was very large and a huge challenge covering 15 acres of our farm (64 acres). The project required a new road infrastructure, the construction of three lakes and bunds, a plan to cope with a 1 in 100 year flood situation, the building of reception and toilet facilities, installation of 3 phase power supply, collecting 12 million gallons of water, and last but not least research into the best way to improve habitats for the local flora and fauna.
During the design and research stage we slowly put together the plans,
working with 17 consultants varying from planning consultants, engineers,
environmentalists, conservationists, fisheries management, fisheries consultants,
surveyors, right up to barristers who all helped put together our planning
package.
Once planning permission was granted tenders went out to material suppliers
for fish, road materials (porous grass), excavation, fencing, landscaping,
electricity suppliers, water suppliers (one thing we have done is put
in a water bore hole), landscapers, tree & shrub suppliers to name
but a few.
After contracts were agreed then the fun started with the project dig commencing on July 12th 2004. July & August 2004 were the some of the wettest in our history - in excess of 3 million gallons of water had to be pumped out during the excavation - putting the project one month behind.
In Lookout Lake we hit Glacier clay and Glacier Boulders which were left over 11,000 years ago as the glaciers melted. These can be seen all around our site as aesthetic markers along the new road, as well as around the lakes.
New drainage ditches and covered drains were put in along with new water input ditches to maximise water collection from the natural aquifers on the land. Wetlands and wildlife ponds have been designed into the project. The plans for the landscaping involved planting over 4000 hedge plants, 2000 shrubs and 1500 young trees and seeding with grasses and wildflowers for conservation. Various wildflower mixes have been included as well as a large quantity of bluebells.
Over ½ a mile of trenches had to be dug for new electrical cables. The road and car parking laid with a special porous surface, top soil added and then seeded. Signs and directional signs were erected.
Around the lakes disabled pegs and bankside pegs were put in and paths laid out. A bridge was constructed at Lookout Lake to link to Lookout Island. Aquatic planting -delayed until there was sufficient water in the lakes - has been finished with every native water and marginal plant available in the UK.
The reception, bait shop and store are completed as are the toilets (male, female and disabled).
Habitat areas for wildlife are being established to complement the existing wildlife pond and ditches to encourage frogs, toads, newts and other forms of water life.
The Angel of the North Fishing Lakes already has two mute swans, and
has been visited by ducks, coots, and wading birds. Lapwings, swallows,
pied wagtails, snipe, yellow wagtails, skylarks, herons, Canada geese,
oystercatchers, bullfinches, robins, chaffinches, blue tits, great tits,
wrens, pheasants have all been recorded on site.
Hedgehogs are in abundance and many other mammals are beginning to be
seen.
A livery yard has just been finished, we are setting up a charity for some historic sites on our land and another 3 projects are in Research & Developmental stage. I have to say this is just a very short version of the last 47 months. It does not list all the issues or the highs or lows or the joys & the stresses that have been involved to get Angel of the North Fishing Lakes open. We plan to leave a great ongoing legacy not only for our family but for society to enjoy for a long time to come. We hope you enjoy it.
