The Village Lake
Beauty
On our Doorstep
Visiting
The lake is open to walk around and enjoy for residents of Somerford Keynes, the entrance is located off the footpath on the Spine Road, close to the bottom of Mill Lane.
Please do not disturb the squares of fabric laid down in various places- these are for a survey of wildlife.
There is now an information board where you can leave nature notes.
No swimming please.
COVID-19
The lake is still open, please do leave the gate open to avoid the need to touch.
The village lake contact is [email protected]
Latest Village Lake News
Village Lake Volunteer Morning May 2021
Thank you to all those who came along and helped.
Last weekend a group of volunteers carried out the first maintenance at the village lake of 2021. Works included cutting back new shoots from areas where trees were cleared last year, removing tree roots that presented a trip hazard on the path and clearing overhanging brambles.
There will be another volunteer morning in the next few weeks to light the annual bonfire and to install the water level gauge near the pond dipping platform, so look out for the date and come along and help!
Boardwalk Handrail
Back in early September a group of socially distanced, mask wearing villagers, met at the lake to help thread the new rope handrail along the boardwalk. This handrail was kindly paid for by Helen Sweet in memory of John Sweet. Thank you to all those who turned up to help!
Since then, the boardwalk has been given a thorough clean and recoated both to prolong its life and to make it safer in wintry conditions.
Floating Island
One of the projects that was funded by our Calor Rural Communities Grant was the installation of a floating island for birds to nest on. The island was assembled, floated out and anchored by Nick & Chris Cartwright using their kayaks. Let's hope the birds take up residence next spring!
Pond Dipping Platform
Two weeks ago our new pond dipping platform arrived and is now in place at the lake. It just needs a few plants to grow up around it. We are hoping to organise pond dipping activities for villagers in the spring.
Shed
Our shed has a new sign thanks to 2 village children!
Little grebes hatch out …
Two little grebes hatched out last week, from their nest in the willow branches in the NW corner of the Lake ... mum watches as they learn to swim.
What to see and do
Walk
The lake is a beautiful place to walk around with a circle path
Picnic
Enjoy the picnic table or the grass.
Please be considerate to the neighbours and keep the noise down. Remember to take your litter with you.
Wildlife
The lake and its surrounding land support a wide range of wildlife, see what you can spot?
Volunteering
The lake and its land need regular work to maintain and improve. If you’d like to volunteer to help please contact Mike Wilding, who arranges regular volunteering events
Volunteer activities at The Village Lake
August 2019
Saturday 31st
Work carried out:
- Cutting back growth alongside path and safety equipment
- Preparing area for shed
- Installing “steadying” post at each end of boardwalk, requested by those who are not so spritely on their feet. Ramps will be installed at end of September
- The morning ended with a barbecue
April 2019
7-9th
Work carried out:
- Bluebell planting
March 2019
Saturday 9th
Work carried out:
- 500 snowdrops planted
- 6 People
- 1 hour
February 2019
Saturday 23rd
The picture by Mike Wilding above shows the team having a break during the morning.
Work carried out successfully was burning all the trimmings and fallen branches from the autumn tidy up, putting up permanent boundary sign on edge of the Woodland, removing more original tree protection sleeves and planting hedging whips in gaps around the boundary on a beautiful sunny day.
Marks in the recent snow show numerous visitors even in the cold weather
Septmeber 2018
Saturdaty 29th
Mike Wilding, assisted by Mike Willis, John Whitwell, Nick Hunt and Andy Clark, spent a sunny autumn morning clearing overhanging growth from the main path, particularly the brambly approach to the boardwalk and the boardwalk itself.
Our application for section 106 Lower Mill Estate grant money is now being resubmitted in two stages, the first stage of which is for the required ecological survey and subsequent updated environmental management plan. After these are carried out, we will be in a position to apply for a grant to actually carry out the work
June 2018
Saturday 16th
Mike Wilding writes:
We held our 2nd volunteer morning on the 16th June, and were pleased to welcome some new willing volunteers. Work included:
- Removing the remainder of the old tree guards from the original planting, and sending them for recycling
- Strimming around the benches and picnic tables
- Lopping branches and brambles overhanging the path
There were sightings of the four “cootlings” who hatched out earlier in the year, and the morning’s work was concluded with some welcome refreshments
Our thanks go to LME for two cuts of our path this year ..long may they continue to help out.
Our application for grant money from the LME section 106 fund held by CDC, has now gone in, and we await the result, which is expected by the end of July. Hopefully this will fund some ecological work around the lake.
Mike Wilding
Village Lake History
Lake 99 as it was originally call is a parcel of land once part of Lower Mill Farm that was cut off from the farm by the new bypass built in the 1960s. The rest of the farm is now Lower Mill Estate.
Our little field was not sold on, but suddenly dug, when the Government decided on a review of gravel planning applications from 50 years before that were not taken up, but still valid. Despite our worries, and after much consultation with the Parish Council and neighbours, digging did little to annoy the village, though caused annoyance from some noise heard by immediate neighbours. The then owners, Hanson, successors to ARC, promised to give the resulting lake to the village.
After some years of delay, mainly due to reorganisations of the gravel company – [it is now a German company], we got our lake. The company paid for a management plan by funding an MSc student attached to the Water Park Society, as it then was. A tree planting day with villagers and company representatives took place about 2004, then nothing happened for some years before ownership was transferred, during which time the tots in the picture grew into teenagers.
Meg, on the left did the management plan, John on the right was the Hanson link-man.
On May 5th 2016, an opening party was held. It rained of course.
The ribbon, held by then Parish Council Chair Sarah Powell, was cut by John Hayward watched by assembled enablers (below) and a large group of villagers, who then had their various picnics, while their dogs (all on leads, as it is a nature reserve) fraternised and children played.
The lake is now available for villagers to enjoy, walking, picnicing, playing and looking out for wildlife. A management team has been formed. Councillor John Whitwell is the PC contact.
Village Lake Gallery