If you have been down to Forge Dam over the weekend, you will see that it is filling up nicely. The training wall separating the channel from the millpond has now been completed, and the pumps that were directing the water down the spillway were turned off last Friday, allowing the channel and millpond to naturally refill. The pool beneath the spillway has also been hand excavated to restore it to the lovely plunge pool it once was.
On Friday morning, a couple of large trees fell cross the Whiteley Woods footpath between Forge Dam and Quiet Lane. Although this may seem very unusual as we have not had strong winds recently, it is actually a common occurrence for trees to fall in the Spring following stormy weather as the new growth of leaves adds weight which tips the tree off balance.
The SCC tree team were on the case straight away and made sure the path was cleared to restore access. What remains of the fallen branches is now acting perfectly as natural flood management, slowing the flow of the stream before it enters the dam.
The council are now finalising the details of appointing the contractor for the wall and path repairs and access improvements. We expect this to be completed in time for the school summer holidays.
There is still some tidying up to do as Sanctus leave the site. And there is still work to be done on making the new penstock for the mill race. We are all looking forward to a lovely summer enjoying the transformation of water back in the pond. It has been a long time coming!
