WORK is being carried out at a National Trust site’s leaking weir to help boost the local wildlife.
Staff at Croome, near Worcester, noticed that the water level in its lake and serpentine river, which were created in the 1760s, was not as high as it should be at its southern end where a weir was built to manage the water level.
After an investigation, the park team realised that the weir was leaking, which could have an impact on the wildlife which call the lake home.
The weir is now undergoing essential repair work by contractors Birch Bros. The firm is using puddled clay to seal the leaks and graded gravel to fill the weir on the upstream side – as recommended by specialist advisor Kingfisher Consultancy.
Additionally, the carriage splash, which is a feature similar to a ford which carriages would have been driven over by the Earls of Coventry and their visiting guests, is also being repaired using blue lias stone.
A nearby old narrow bridge will be replaced with a wider, fully-accessible bridge for visitors to use.
It is hoped that repair work to both structures will be completed by the end of October.
Katherine Alker, Croome’s garden and outdoors manager, said: “Repairing the weir is an essential part of our conservation work in the park at Croome. Restoring the water to its correct level will have a positive impact on the views across the garden and park, as well as to the wildlife and birds which use the water. I can’t wait to see the results.”
For details, call 01905 371006 or visit nationaltrust.org.uk/croome
