You Dig: I'll Pour

Manorbrook Lake

The Cotswold Water Park, is set in over 40 square miles of Cotswold Countryside, with 147 lakes created entirely by gravel extraction. This process has been happening over the last fifty years. The high ground water levels mean that any hole dug more than a metre deep, rapidly begins to fill up.

Thus the first fields were dug up wet; using drag lines; creating lakes with uneven bottoms and irregular shore lines.

Since 1970s, new pump technology allowed quarries to be dug 'dry'; allowing the creation of deeper lakes and uniform bottoms.

A biodiversity action plan 1997 - 2007, has encouraged the creation of lakes with shallow sloping banks, indented shorelines, reed beds and shallow wetlands.

It is amazingly, the largest inland  person-made waterway in Europe and not surprisingly submerges the infant Thames.

For further information use the following link:

http://www.waterpark.org/

I set off on the path from the village of Ashton Keynes, soon meeting the football/sports ground and later passing through the Ashton Millennium Green; which, according to the sign was created as a " breathing space " for the village; which considering the rural aspect of it all, made one wonder if a major urban development was coming in the near future!

The path ventured shortly to a causeway between two lakes.

The path at this point was teeming with butterflies, moths and other insect lives.

having crossed between these two lakes, the path continued through some rougher pieces of ground with gravel tracks ( wonder where the got that from?), until one arrived at a bridle path with alarming warning signs, the other side of the fence.

I always reckon a sinking quicksand notice merits attention.

Passing these signs I soon came to the edges of Manorbrook Lake, which you see as the headline photo.

My walk finished for the day when, having nearly completed the perimeter I left the lake by a wooden gate.

My final picture, I felt I should include, having been bleating on about the general lack of livestock, in my last posting.

As, you can see I did spot some cows alongside this walk.

Le Tour

We love the Tour de France don't we ?

If undecided, here are some reasons:

1  Whatever state of tiredness, weary from work or any exertion, one look at the bikers' efforts makes one feel fresh in a relative way.

2 The peerless commentary of Phil Liggett; passion in every pedal- stroke; he could make peeling an orange seem exciting.

3 Virtually no crowd  or pet control, combined with dodgy terrain(think cobbles for example) makes for spills and crashes at any time in the day's stage.

4 Seeing the best of France and other parts of Europe, from the comfort of your armchair - result.

Yes folks , it's all good nothing bad or (possibly)  est tout le bon rien mauvais ?

Ciao4now

Ck.