All change at Cannop Ponds

Cannop Ponds hold a special place in my affections for it was near where this photo was taken that we finally decided to leave Cornwall and make our home in the Forest of Dean. Precisely where we might live would be a decision for another day, but we reasoned that if we could love the place on a cold, grey winter's day then we would have no difficulty in loving it throughout the changing seasons.

Since then, I have walked beside or around Cannop Ponds on countless occasions, often pausing to watch the wildlife, take in the beauty of the place and snap a photo or two. It's a lovely spot... but all that may be about to change.  The ponds might even disappear entirely!

Late last year Forest England broke the news that the dams, which together hold back some 22 million gallons of water, might not withstand a 1-in-150 year flood, and that their failure would pose a serious threat to the good folk of Parkend, a mile and a half downstream. A possible solution would be to 'rewild' the area, returning the valley to something like its state before the ponds were constructed to supply water to Parkend Ironworks, 200 years ago. 

Predictably, the news has been greeted with incredulity and not a little anger. Ahead of the official report, the debate probably produced more heat than light, with some suggesting that dark forces were at work, directed by people with little interest in, or connexion with, the Forest. I don't feel qualified to comment on that, though a glance at any edition of Private Eye will confirm that important decisions are not always made in the best interests of the populace. However, most people now acknowledge that something has to be done. Broadly speaking, there are three options:

• Repair the existing dams,
• Do away with the dams entirely and rewild the valley,
• Something in between, such as creating a few smaller, shallower ponds, some of which could be 'family friendly' - safe places for children to play,

Forest England has just released their report on the condition of the dams, so now the important task of assessing and costing the options can begin.  Whatever their eventual recommendations, it seems clear that the old ponds may not be with us in their existing form for much longer, so here are a few photos from my collection. First, the top pond...

The dam on the top pond is a lot longer than the lower one.  I was surprised, though, to read that it's not the earthen dams that are the primary cause of concern; rather it's the ability of the spillways to cope with excessive amounts of floodwater. 

Here's the lower pond and its spillway...

One big concern is the effect that any changes will have on the pond's wildlife - no just the frequently spotted ducks, coots, moorhens and swans, but also the fish and the animals that have made the lakeside their home. And what, I wonder, will become of the pond's resident crocodile?  I hope he doesn't give up and paddle down to Lydney.