21/04/2010

The most ambitious conservation project in 20 years has now begun at Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, a National Trust owned Word Heritage Site near Ripon, North Yorkshire.

The first phase of the Studley Lake Project began in February. The Fountains Abbey gardening team, alongside estate gardening volunteers, have removed alders and larch from the east bank behind the island. The trees were planted in the 1970s on top of an eighteenth century carriage drive and were exacerbating the problem of erosion to the bank. Vegetation on the island has also been cleared in preparation for the contractors moving on site. Work began early in the year to discourage birds nesting on the island, as part of the project's environmental mitigation measures.

Even at this early stage in the works it is possible to see the first indications of one of the project's objectives coming to fruition, to restore the views in and out of the garden to how the designer, John Aislabie, intended.

The National Trust has appointed J N Bentley Limited of Keighley Road, Skipton to continue the next phase of works, dredging and de-silting the Lake, removing the island and repairing the weir. J N Bentley has previous experience of working in sensitive historical settings, having recently undertaken work at another World Heritage Site, Blenheim Palace.

J N Bentley will move on site Monday 12 April to set up the site compound area which is anticipated to take a week. The Lake will begin to be drained the week commencing Monday 19 April and fish in the Lake will be humanely caught and relocated upstream.

The National Trust consulted closely with Harrogate Borough Council, Natural England, the Environment Agency and its own internal ecological advisors throughout the planning process. The public were invited to attend open days at Studley Tea Rooms and comment on the project proposals through the website www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

Visitors will still be able to access the Studley entrance to the estate throughout the project however there will be some diversions from the normal footpaths around the Lake and into the Seven Bridges area of the garden. Vehicle access to the deer park and Lakeside will be disrupted between August and September therefore visitors to the estate are encouraged to use the Visitor Centre car park.

Chris Fowler, General Manager at Fountains Abbey said ‘We have been planning for this project for five years and are delighted that work has now begun. Together with J N Bentley we're working hard to minimise disruption to visitors throughout the course of this very complex project. If the weather is in our favour, the project will be completed by September and our visitors will be able to experience the full splendour of the Lake just as an eighteenth century visitor to the garden would have done.'

The overall aim of the Studley Lake project is to improve water quality as a nature conservation measure and reinstate the eighteenth century integrity of Studley Lake by repairing existing features, reinstating lost features and removing features that have been established over precedent.

Studley Lake is a reservoir therefore the National Trust is legally obliged to drain the Lake and comprehensively inspect the dam.  Whilst the lake is drained it gives the National Trust a rare opportunity to assess the need for restoration and conservation of historical features, including those underwater and not normally visible.

The silt island in the middle of the Lake was the result of early 19^th century dredging work and was not part of the original garden design. It obscures the views in and out of the water garden which were so cleverly designed by the garden's designer John Aislabie.  It also obstructs the flow of water, causing erosion to the east bank of the Lake. As part of the project the island will be removed and the silt will be used by a local farmer as organic manure on his arable land.

If you would like to follow the project's progress there are weekly updates and videos at http://www.fountainsabbey.org.uk/ and also an exhibition in Studley car park.