Pondlife

‘How far should I go?’

Chris, whose team had created the road to Wildwood, dug in the electricity trench, mains water and the foundations for our house, was standing across the stream holding the other end of a measuring tape. We were working out the size and shape of the ‘big pond’. Chris had already dug a pond below the construction site in 2021. But, in the tradition of most re-wilders, we soon realised we were not thinking big enough and started planning a second pond.

‘I was thinking maybe… 25 metres?’ I replied, immediately revealing my true motivation for a larger pond. As any swimmer knows, 25 metres is what you want. Fortunately David was there to make sure Chris mapped out a wildlife pond rather than a lap pool. We improved on the last design with a shallow shelf for plants to take hold. Friends and our neighbours from Spindlewood Farm came over to help install the liner. We seeded the surrounding area with wildflowers, and now… we wait.