From Nick Bowles
Wednesday, 28 May 2008

It's just over a year since Carol's comment on this pond. I agreed with what she said and am really pleased to see some progress. The planners demanded that the larger pond at the front of the Mill be brought up to scratch and be planted for wildlife, this they are doing now. It has been relined and will be planted in the autumn according to the developer - it looks good, I hope it will be a viable if nascent environment for next spring.

From Carol Thornton
Friday, 30 May 2008

Hi Nick, I gather from your webpage that you have some association with the developers who are selling Pecket Well Mill?

So I can't think in what way we could be in agreement over the (in my opinion) appallingly unsympathetic treatment of what was a grade 2 listed mill building.The filling in of the lovely small pond to the rear was a great loss to the site -epecially for the sake of the jarringly inappropriate modern houses.

The remaining mill pond has been filled in and topped by a plastic/rubber liner (which shows at the edges and has reduced the water level to a paltry 4 feet or so). No amount of planting or bird tables on the top will ever make this look right.

The pond had an austere beauty which blended with its sorroundings and that had lasted for centuries. It's now been reduced to a kind of inappropriate paddling pool.

From Nick Bowles
Wednesday, 28 May 2008

Hi Carol

I have an interest in this property it is true, I own one, and as I travel a lot I rent it out to holidaymakers when I am away.

My apartment looks out onto the remaining pond and I agree it was austere before, nothing grew in it at all! With some neighbours I planted loads of hardy plants last year and nothing much has survived other than one Mountain Ash. Planting by an expert in the water (hence the reduced depth) and round the edges will create habitat and make the pond pleasing for those who live adjacent to it and see it every day as well as those people who wander past it occasionally.

The architectural merits of the houses on the far side of the Mill wall do split opinion it is true (I am not a huge fan but the people who live in them love them), but the Mill won an award for its restoration and has made a living space out of an uncared for brown field site, few would argue that this is not preferable to new builds on green field sites. Nick

From Carol Thornton
Sunday, 1 June 2008

Considering the state of the textile industry the conversion of the working mill eventually to some other use was inevitable.

The former Grade 2 listed mill was a unique place,neatly contained within its boundaries- everything there was for a purpose- not what you would think of when "brownfield site" is mentioned - actually quite pleasing visually and worth preserving for historical reasons .The 2 ponds were the jewels of the site and an intrinsic part of the mills history -showing how it drew its power from the landscape.

Nature took advantage of the water held in the ponds and theone to the rear, now completely obliterated, was absolutley full of wildlife as I mentioned in my post last year.

The revamped remaining pond is maybe ok as a feature for the housing but the bigger picture and all of the previously existing wildlife is lost unfortunately.