The Ornamental Lake, Manor House Gardens, Old Road, Lee;
TQ 5394 1748; (Ann George); watching brief; 19 July - 6 August 1999; Land Use Consultants; ORL99
The work consisted of a watching brief during the de-silting phase of restoration of a c. 1770's ovoid ornamental lake, approx. 0.75 ha in extent. The lake bed still held water and a thick anaerobic, organic mud slurry approx. 0.50m - 0.75m thick which obscured any ground surface. This dark grey silt also covered 3 - 5m around the S perimeter of the lake, previously dredged from the west of a small artificial island and piled on the south bank to drain down. As far as observed the lake bed consists of natural alluvial clay, compacted to form a waterproof seal, with imported pea-gravel and shingle over. On the N shore of the lake Post-Medieval demolition rubble has been tipped to form shallows.
A simple overflow grill/spillway chamber situated on the S bank, constructed of brick and concrete, returns surplus water to the cut of the River Quaggy (approx. 20m to the west).
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