Page 42 - link magazine

42 The Link Magazine • August 2004
September start for bendy river plan
K Sgm^ ,^ ^°!L] The Swindon Water for Wildlife Project is launching a major effort
to restore the wildlife riches of the River Ray at Rivermead, close to
West Swindon, over the next two years starting in September.
A key feature of the
LAWN & HEDGE CUTTING work will be putting
bends back into the
PATIO & TURF LAYING
. IA GENERAL GARDEN TIDY river which was
straightened in the
FENCE ERECTION, past, right. The result
STAINING & MAINTENANCE will be improved
habitat for the ex-
Give your garden a makeover
traordinary range of
Tel: 01793 873630 wildlife, from king-
Mobile: 0781 8430556 fishers to otters, that
nail: [email protected] lives on this stretch of
www.ga rden-groomers.com river.
The project was
launched in May 2003
LAN J SER VE and is run by Wiltshire Wildlife ible, unless you get up very early
Chelworth
Garden Maintenance Landscapes Trust in partnership with Thames are the otters which leave tracks
& Landscaping 1(I^%. Water, the Environment Agency, up and down the river corridor.
Fencing & Garden Maintenance Swindon Council and the Great Water voles are found in some
Professional care ^i,4"_`^^ Western Community Forest. parts, mainly upstream on the ar-
for your garden Fencing and gates eas that their most
Grass Cutting -regular Closeboard, trellis, panels, deadly predator, the
picket, chain/ink, security etc
maintenance American mink, have
Landscaping
Landscaping - Patios & Paving not yet reached."
Shingle, paving, water features,
- repairs & cleaning turfing and planting The initial work
will concentrate on
lied c Cuttin &- Pruninu Garden maintenance
1.2km stretch of river
No Job Too Small. All works insured. Grasscutting. tree and shrub at Rivermead, close to
y
Call Martin Emer MI Hort. pruning, clearance etc Thames Water where
for free quotation For free quotation phone few fish are to be
(01793) 750390 found. "There is only
on 01793 570956
or Mobile 1)7771 956294 one type of habitat;
there are no pools,
The richer environment of the River Ray,
shallow 'riffles', slug-
just afew miles down stream, near Cricklade
EDEN 0 CL Timber' Project Officer Jo Sayer ex- eas, which you find in a natural
gish or still water ar-
LANDSCAPES New - Reclaimed plained why the Ray needs to be river, where young fish can hide
made more bendy. "Many urban from bigger ones," explained Jo.
For all your timber rivers were engineered into canals "By restoring some of the origi-
O Paving, Walling decking & pressure in the post-war period, and nal features reconnecting it to the
treated timber for floodplains drained, and this is floodplain, with shallow banks and
O Fencing, Patios
garden use, ply, what happened to River Ray. At gravel at waters edge, the range of
O Gravel drives close-board fencing present it's little more than a ditch wildlife will increase over a wide
new & old sleepers and it's only recently that we've distance
"No job too small'! realised how damaging these 'im- on either
Delivery in Swindon area provements' have been to the river side of the
For reliable service and quality work Drop by or tel: 829715 environment and the wildlife it river. The
supports." work will
The Yard, Tate Estate
Tel: 01367 710772 Kingsdown Road Despite this, the Ray actually also create
Stratton St (Margaret, Swindon accommodates a good range of better ac-
Mob: 0775 4245160 Open: Mon to Fri 9am - 5pm. Sat 9am - 4pm wildlife, including kingfishers, cess for
which are a regular sight. Less vis people to
enjoy the
area."
Fund-
AM! restoration work comes from the
Garden Design and Maintenance ing for the
Why not get some help from a plant specialist and RHS Chelsea landfill tax credit scheme and is
SKIPS
medal winning designer I supported through Biffa, Swindon
• Professional designs drawn to suit your needs/budget Services, RWE Innogy, Thames
Water and Hills Waste.
• Imaginative planting plans for whole/part of your garden
2 yd: £45 2.5 yd: £55 To find out more about the
• Plant supply and planting project, call Jo on 526229.
3 yd: £65 4 yd: £75
• Garden maintenance - lawn care, shrub pruning, hedge
5 yd: £85 All inclusive
cutting, border renovation
5 days given to fill skip
Call John or Anita Barratt ND HortA / Hort
on Swindon (01793) 751403 for further information Freephone
0800 - 387613
Anita Barratt Garden Design
Tel: 731610 8am - 6pm