Saturday 6 June 2009

Any ideas?




This has appeared in the fields over the last couple of weeks. The bank forms a sort of elongated C and there appears to be a hard flat area within the C with two grassy islands left in it.

The bank itself has what looks like concrete blocks set into it at regular intervals.

I know that they plan to dig out the fields in the background and breach the sea wall to create a new salt marsh in that area and I think it’s the beginning of a new dyke to go round the new marsh. It’s something I’m not happy about but I’m determined not to start spouting about it today!

My other half reckons it isn’t. So far he’s come up with a trout farm, a shooting range . . . or a visit from Tony Robinson.

I’m hoping someone out there will look at it and say “Oh, I’ve seen one of those – it’s a . . .”

17 comments:

  1. Sorry, Teresa, not a clue! But I think your guess of it having something to do with the new salt marsh is probably close to the mark. Have you heard anything in the local press about any new buildings/structures being built in the area?

    We're currently fighting an open cast coal mine my end, where there are currently open fields with a wealth of local wildlife! They just can't leave a patch of greenery anywhere can they?!

    Hope you find out what it is soon as I am now fascinated and want to know!

    Julie. xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brilliant, Helen!

    Nope, not a thing Julie.
    Sorry about the open cast mine, it sounds awful.
    I'll keep you posted!

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's ugly that's what it is! Leave the pretty green fields alone I say! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I don't know what it is either. Is it close enough to the coast to become a salt marsh? What are the implications of a salt marsh? I know they protect us from the sea and provide a haven for wildlife. Have you wrote to your local paper? Might be a nice little investigation jobby for someone there - unless they already know and it's part of the official secrets act ...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ha ha - and the pit's far to big to be Tony Robinson. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Don't you know those elongated Cs are the new crop circles?! :o)

    ReplyDelete
  7. How very odd. You'd think that there would have been something in the press...

    Perhaps, as Helen suggested, it's something to do with UFOs.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It certainly is ugly, Lacey!

    Diane, I was at the edge of a salt marsh when I took the photo, so its plenty close enough. No one will oppose it because it's being done to appease protesters against a new port development. Very long and complicated story!

    I wouldn't mind if it was as pretty as some of the crop circles you see, Karen. Did you see the jellyfish one the other week? Fantastic!

    Our local paper doesn't tend to have much "local" news in it, Suzanne - bizarre as that sounds!

    Looked at it from a different angle and the area in front might be water . . . not sure. I wondered if it might be a go-cart track or summat like that. I am going to have to try to get a closer look (and remember to take my camera)!

    ReplyDelete
  9. When groundworks are going to be carried out, it's common to remove the topsoil and stack it up in those banks so that it doesn't get washed away by rain. Which implies to me that it's going to be reinstated when the work is complete.

    You could phone the planning department of your local Council and ask them; or have a look on your Council's website, and see what applications for planning permission have been granted in the area.

    I could also ask my husband if he knows what it is: he's a minerals surveyor, and is involved in all sorts of things like landfills and opencast mines (sorry, Julie). He'll probably take one look at the photos and tell me not only what it's for, but who the operator is and which digger staff worked on the excavation. He knows these things. I'm not sure which one of us is more obsessive about our work!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks, Jane! I hadn't even thought of looking at the council's website - I'm going there next!
    It would be great if your husband knew what it was - just to satisfy my curiosity because I'm such a nosy old bat!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Of course you're nosy (um, I mean inquisitive) - you're a writer.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Inquisitive - that's the word, Patsy! I'm an inquisitive old bat!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Teresa, my husband has just had a look at the photos (and wants to know why you posted a photo of a dog doing that on your blog...!) and this is roughly what he said.

    The heaps are soil bunds, designed to hold water back. So this could be some sort of flood defence: but it's more likely to be an agricultural reservoir, and the concrete squares are wiers to allow water to overflow and stop the reservoir from flooding over the surrounding fields.

    However, it could be habitat creation, bearing in mind the grassy islands that you've said have been left; if so, this sort of project is usually carried out in tandem with other developments which are more commercial in nature; or they're grant-funded and are the work of a conservation organisation.

    But your best bet is to search your local authority website and see what you find, as it's almost certainly going to be listed there. If it's an agricultural reservoir it might not appear as it could be permitted development, which won't require planning permission: but the islands imply that it's not one as islands are too fancy for reservoirs. And if you know who owns the land then that could help too: is there a fenland trust or similar which might be carrying out the works? Consider too Natural England, which sometimes does odd works, and as a last resort the Environment Agency.

    Or you could (to quote him) stick your wellies on and go and ask the nice blokes who are digging the hole exactly what they're doing. If you try that tack, take them cake: it always helps!

    ReplyDelete
  14. That's brilliant, Jane - thank you (and thank you Jane's Husband)!

    I did wonder if anyone would spot the dog.

    I've checked the local authority website but there was nothing on there.

    Interesting that you mentioned the Environment Agency as we have seen their vehicles quite near that area a number of times over the last few years.

    I will try to get a photo of it from another angle. It's been deserted for the last few days - so I'll have to eat the cake myself!

    Thanks again for all the info!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Teresa, I'm glad that my lovely husband (commonly known as Big Dave) could be of help. If you get another photo then let me know and I'll make him take another look: he loves things like this.

    He did say that it was a shame that there wasn't any gravel there, as that would be worth something... I bet you're glad that there isn't, though!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'll try to get a photo for Big Dave tomorrow, Jane!!

    ReplyDelete