The history of Brickfields Country Park - Comments on the building works by Alan Harding page 2

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The pond was shaped and improved in many ways and large numbers of pond plants and water grasses were introduced along with 3 or 4 types of fish. These fish were very costly and, so "No Fishing" signs were erected.
The islands in the pond were also reshaped and improved in several ways to create attractive features, refuges and breeding places for water fowl.
Huge natural Portland stones were purchased to create a feature[1], and a large number of tree trunk logs were obtained from the Forestry Commission to provide scattered features which would also serve as seating[2]. Picnic benches were a later addition[3].
A bund (a metre–high earth bank) was built, east to west, across most of the width of the park to protect dwellings at the Southern end from flooding[4]. This bund is, of course, at the low end of the park and, in places, is only 15 ft., or so south of the pond.
A large number of young trees were planted, most are decorative and some are flowering. A smaller number of shrubs, some flowering, were also planted.
A car park was planned for the park proper but was eventually provided at the Southern end of the cart track close to Boxalls Lane. A cycle track was considered[5] but abandoned.

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The large Portland stone "feature" has over the years suffered some fire damage from various bonfires being lit within the centre of the circle of stones. This section has been filled in with hardcore overlaid with clay and compacted to raise the internal level within the stones to try and prevent any "chimney" effect and to minimise injuries from persons clambering on the rocks and falling into the relatively deep centre. [back] [top]
The tree trunk logs were used as rough seating for many years, but as they were set into the ground to prevent them being rolled into the pond, a regular occourance ! they eventually rotted away. They were removed in 2021 on completion of our brick gabion and sleeper replacements. [back] [top]
These wooden picnic benches lasted for about 10 years and then became a vandalism target being spray painted, dismantled and set alight. As a trial one bench was replaced with a rather ugly galvanized unit but this also was subject to even more concerted vandalism attempts so the decision was made to remove all the benches entirely. Recent works have installed three seats comprised of heavy Oak sleepers on wire gabions filled with bricks to reflect the sites history as a brickworks. [back] [top]
So far, in the nearly thirty five year life of the park, this flooding risk has never materialised. Very heavy rains have happened several times but the pond level has never risen more than 18in from its normal level. Some of this is attributed to the flow restriction of the main 15in pipes that fill and empty the pond and to the pond its–self acting as a buffer. [back] [top]
The cycle track was to have been built as a zig–zag track down the steep top slope from the Croft Lane entrance, this was never completed. [back] [top]