Pond Maintenance - Clayfield Copse, Caversham
11th August 2010

At the start of August CROW visited Clayfield Copse to work on the seasonal ponds.

It was a surprise to many of us that there are ponds at Clayfield other than that near the car park. In fact there are a number but it is unclear whether they were deliberately created, a byproduct of other human activity or are natural. The majority of ponds are the result of human intervention.

We concentrated our efforts on two of the ponds first clearing any litter (plastic bags, bottles, etc.) before cutting back some of the overhanging branches to allow in more light. The cut branches were stacked nearby to form habitat piles.

Although now dry, earlier in the year the ponds were filled with water and contained signs of life, including possibly newts. We are confident that when they refill in autumn, life will return.

As with all conservation activities at Clayfield Copse, the work was carried out with advice and guidance from Reading Borough Council's Parks Department.