Part Four
Posted: 3 May 2020
If you've joined the tour at this point, you might prefer to start at The Beginning of the tour.
As we return from the fence separating the private grounds of Ruston House from the holiday cottages, ahead we see the twin stumps of telegraph poles that mark the site of one of the old fishing stands, removed in the winter of 2015/16. In the foreground a stick that was placed to mark where a proposed log cabin might be sited.
Reaching the New Path junction we see the beginning of "The Retaining Wall". It's some 40 yards long and was constructed in October 2018. It was built with two aims in mind. First, it was to ensure the path stayed level as it was moved further away from the lake. This, it was hoped, would have the secondary effect of allowing the lakeside trees to grow more vertically. As things were, they appeared to be at risk of growing too much over the lake.
Moving forward we pass one of the stumps that indicate the site of a fishing stand. Ahead the path curves to the left as it works its way around the near circular end of the lake in the centre of which is a small island on which both geese and swans have nested in the past.
As we proceed further round the curve we see how the branches lower than about five feet have been removed from the hawthorns growing between the path and lake. This was done over the winter of 2019/20 in the hope that the extra light would encourage the paths to grass over. There had been disappointment as, after being seeded in the spring the grass and initially growing well, the grass later died away and, if anything grew on the path at all, it was moss.
Having turned through 90° we are now heading south and approaching "The Dip". Ahead, on the right, the sculpture of the deer can be seen once more.
At this time of year, holding the camera above the head allows us to see over the embankment to the bridge seen earlier. It can be expected it will be impossible to see either the deer, bench or bridge from this position in high summer.
Now back at The Dip again, we see how the retaining wall is still at its highest and stops abruptly. The conifer on the left has been trimmed slightly in order to ensure those using the path have shoulder room.
We retrace our steps along the path behind the Ruston Bench. This is part of the path where it is planned to sow grass seed and hopes it grows now that there is more light in the area, having cleared the bank-side vegetation. Up till now it has been topped with chippings.
At the staggered junction we saw early we will proceed straight through. The path here is due to be seeded too.
On the right, helping to support the banks of the Reed Bed, to which we have returned, is the remains of the old bridge balustrade. When it finally rots away we expect to build a similar, though lower, "retaining wall" to that we saw before returning to "The Dip". As mentioned on the way out, on the right the ground is largely clear of vegetation as this was, until last week, the site of one of the piles of logs and twigs awaiting grading and distribution elsewhere on the site.
As in the tour of 2015, we are now about to cross to the island and make our tour round it. The stack of short blocks of wood are usually used to lift the upturned boat above ground when it is stored here over winter.
