Forum Topic

Pond in Ravenscourt Park

Admittedly I know nothing of pond's but am concerned about the state of this one, the amount of green sludge (!) covering more than half of it looks pretty horrible.  Also the amount of rubbish floating in it surely cannot be doing the ducks, swans and maybe fish any good.Are there any plans to clean it?  And possibly put more grass down as some of the area surrounding the pond was completely bare!

Carol Burge ● 6216d25 Comments

It's not the cold weather directly. It has been dealt with at Council level, so I understand. But let's keep an eye on it as it could well come back.

Rosemary Pettit ● 6158d

I walked through the Park this morning and there is hardly any green on the lake now.  Maybe the cold weather is sorting it out .... or the park people have done something about it.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6158d

Chiswick House Grounds had a similar problem with their lake. It is now solved so it might be worth talking to them on how they did it.

Paul Corcoran ● 6159d

I still feel it is in the wrong location, and looks rather like a headstone from a grave rather than a commemorative memorial.  And as I have already said surely it would be better sited nearer the Polish centre.

Carol Burge ● 6168d

At the opposite end of the pond to where the bridge is, there is/was a filter type thing there which at one time was working.

Carol Burge ● 6168d

The Polish memorial appears to have strayed into this thread. It commemorates Giles Hart, the Englishman who helped Solidarity and was killed so tragically in the 7/7 bombings. His connection with Hammersmith is that he and local Poles picnicked in Ravenscourt Park.The Council consulted very little about this application, although H&F Historic Buildings Group protested about its unsuitability as did the Hammersmith Society.The planning applications committee accepted the application unanimously, governed (I think) by a wave of sympathy towards the Poles. I understand this but think they were being sentimental and wish they hadn't done it.

Rosemary Pettit ● 6170d

Thank you for your prompt reply. Is this stagnant water with no inlet or outlet? If so you are quite right, as stagnant water will always become overgrown with algae.On the other hand if is the pond being fed by a brook with incoming water, I would have thought an environmentally safe algacide would be the answer?

Marlene Plimley ● 6175d

The problem is the water - the algae grows back very quickly.  An attempt to remove some of the excesses has been made and we have cleared the litter from the water.The solution is to drain the pond and replace the water which Quadron plan to do in the winter.  I hope this will resolve the situation.

Cllr Paul Bristow ● 6175d

I walked through our lovely park on Sunday morning and was stunned (to say the least) to see that the algae on the duckpond has not been dealt with. In fact it looked worse than ever. Also, on the banks of the pond where the waterfowl sit is black plastic under the soil. Presumably, they have done this to stop weeds, however the birds have been pulling and nibbling at it and it just looks a mess. I have taken some pictures and when I learn how to post pictures, I will do so for all to see.Why hasn't the pond been cleared or has it and it came back?

Marlene Plimley ● 6175d

Hmmm, wonder why it was felt appropriate that he should be commemorated in Ravenscourt Park?  Don't get me wrong, I am all for remembering people who have contributed in some way or another to the country, borough etc.I hope I am wrong in thinking this but I can't help but feel it is also not going to be long before somebody feels they should add their own particular "mark" to it!

Carol Burge ● 6199d

Yes, Carol.  A smaller stone and nearer the King Street end where the Polish Centre is located would be much more appropriate.  The gentleman it commemorates (can't remember his name just now) wasn't even a local man.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6200d

Obviously it is a natural phenomenon then.....and maybe the ducks eat it, I don't know.Unfortunately I never was witness to the heron in the scented garden, my Dad used to like sitting in there in the summer and it was/is very pleasant.  I do wish the arches under the railway lines were not boarded up, I remember the slides/swings being in there when I was a kid.....only a couple of years ago of course !!!!And I also wondered why the memorial stone was placed where it is, it does look like a grave headstone.  I would have thought, considering the Centre for Polish Arts and Culture is located the other side of the park on King Street the stone would have been better placed there.

Carol Burge ● 6200d

I walked past the pond on Wednesday and it was two thirds clear of the algae.  This morning its all back and worse so the whole pond is covered.  Amazing how it can happen in such a short time.  The gates have been absent from the scented garden for some time now and perhaps someone In Authority can advise us what is happening.There used to be a lovely pond and fountain in that garden and a crafty heron often sat on the fountain waiting to dine off one of the fishes.  So the pond was drained and eventually the area filled in and a sundial put there.  I have to say that Ravenscourt Park is much better maintained than it was, say, ten years ago.However, I do find the newly installed memorial an eye sore.  It is HUGE, and looks as though it has just been plonked there.  Surely it could have been placed under some trees.  It was a terrible thing to happen and quite honestly I find being reminded of the carnage of that day every time I walk through the park not very uplifting.  Does it mean the park will finish up looking like a cemetry with memorials to people who have done great things to help others (and certainly do need to be remembered) dotted all over the place?

Caroline MacMillan ● 6200d

Am I right in thinking it could get much worse - or indeed become totally irrelevant - given that Ravenscourt Park is under threat from the so-called 'super sewer'?....hope I'm wrong...

Charles Lawrence ● 6201d

Just had another wander round the park with another work colleague who was greatly impressed by how lovely it is........apart from the pond!  Which is a shame because I think that is the best bit.It is still covered in green algae, bottles and tennis balls floating on it and the part down by the footbridge looks absolutely solid, no ducks venturing near it.  Also had a wander round the scented garden, where have the lovely iron gates that used to be at the entrance gone?  And I presume the pond with the fountain has had to be covered over because of Health and Safety issues?  And did there not used to be a plague at the entrance, think it was also in braille.....all there is now is rather less than flattering council signs....I appreciate they may need to be put in place but could they not be made to blend in more with the environment.OK...........lunchtime winge over:-)

Carol Burge ● 6201d

Just had a wonder round and unfortunately it has not been cleaned, even the parts of the water that are clear you can see discarded cans and plastic carrier bags on the bottom........surely a hazard for the wildlife.

Carol Burge ● 6211d

Must say the algae looked pretty horrid when I walked through the park this morning.  It has happened in the past though and the council have been good at clearing it.

Caroline MacMillan ● 6214d

Thank-you for taking care of this. The pond is the loveliest feature in the park and enjoyed by many visitors.  I am sure the water fowl will be happy as well.

Marlene Plimley ● 6214d

Cllr Paul........what can I say, absolutely brilliant for such a speedy response

Carol Burge ● 6214d

I understand this is now being dealt with.  The supervisor on this weekend will go and keep an eye on it Saturday and Sunday.

Cllr Paul Bristow ● 6214d

I shall ask for this to be looked at.

Cllr Paul Bristow ● 6215d

Well it is obviously a natural occurence and maybe it clears on it's own, I dunno enough about these things.  But it looked awful and my concern is will it not starve anything underneath of oxygen so what will the ducks/ducklings/swans survive on?  And surely the rubbish could at least be removed, there were at least two footballs, various bits of wood and goodness knows how much litter floating in it.  And will new grass be laid on the banks?

Carol Burge ● 6215d

Well done Carol!I was meaning to post about this but I wanted to take a picture first. When I walked through this lovely park on Sat. AM I was appalled by the state of the pond. It was all covered in thick green algae. Why, pray tell, has it been left to deteriorate like this? All the ducks were lined up on the shore wondering what to do. Poor things!This is taken from the councils website: Better parks for all    by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office    30/07/2008It may only be three months since new contractors were brought in to maintain the borough's parks and open spaces but visitors to Hammersmith and Fulham's green sites are already noticing the difference.Quadron Services, one of the country’s most highly-respected grounds maintenance companies, have been working with the council since May and in that time have been busy mowing, cutting, chopping and hoeing. Cllr Paul Bristow, cabinet member for residents’ services, said: “Visitors to our parks and open spaces have already told us how beautiful they are looking this summer. We are proud to have Quadron on board and look forward to our parks receiving even more praise over the coming months and years.”Ravenscourt Park in Hammersmith is just one green space that is reaping the benefits of the new contract. The scented garden has been comprehensively weeded and improvements are being made on a weekly basis. There is now also a mechanical sweeper based on-site, which cleans all the major pathways every day. A new toilet attendant can also be found during working hours and weekends.

Marlene Plimley ● 6215d

It is such a lovely park, walked through there lunchtime with a work colleague and she was amazed how nice it is in there...........but the pond has looked better.Mind you the kids seemed to be enjoying the fun day in there, would have loved to have had a go on the bouncy castle but think I was a tad too old!!!!!!

Carol Burge ● 6215d

I think the green sludge is algae and is a problem when the weather is hot and humid like it has been recently... agree that it needs a good clean though - the rest of park seems to get cleaned and updated quite regularly but the ducks are looking a little neglected...

Emma Thatcher ● 6216d