Our old place we were renting was put up for sale and I was keen to try and get back to living in the country. Sadly, everyone else had the same idea and we kept losing out on fab properties on farms or in small hamlets or villages.
Working in Newbury (currently, looks like this will end with redundancy in June), I was keen to end up somewhere north of Andover and closer to work, but this sadly proved impossible, unless we wanted to live on a rabbit warren estate. No thanks!
We'd had a viewing on the place we are now in, but kept hanging on for something bigger. Our old house had spoiled us somewhat in some ways, being a three storey house. Mine and Rach's floor was probably bigger than the whole of the first floor in this new house, but the clock was ticking and I was the one who convinced Rach that due to having a garage and conservatory and a large 'usable' garden it was worth taking the chance on this house. Oh, and luckily for me, it was a five minute walk to Rooksbury Lakes.
Featured heavily in this blog already, there are bound to be a lot more Rooskbury related posts, so maybe it's time to introduce them to you properly.
Latterly a trout farm and at some point in the 60's a mink farm, the lakes were given to the local council around a decade ago after a developer bought the land with the aim of building more properties around the old Mill and accompanying houses. One of these new houses I have been lucky enough to live in twice. (see previous posts).
The lakes are fed by the River Anton that runs from Penton, through Charlton and the town centre, and after Rooksbury it makes its way the Clatfords before joining the River Test at Fullerton and my favourite summer pub - The Mayfly
This map shows the lakes and how the river flows through the reserve. Click on the pic to see the text. Hopefully it makes sense and is visible.
With moving in to the new property, and emptying and cleaning the old one, it's probably not surprising that it took me over two weeks to walk the four minutes (yes, I timed it) down to the lakes. I'm lucky to see a lot of wildlife in my work time, but there isn't much like strolling around the lakes on a frosty morning watching the day wake up.
There is always something to see, if you take the time - and that's why I love it. I can lose a good hour or two just walking around, listening out for bullfinch or kingfisher, watching the cormorant fish or water voles scuttle around the banks or swim across the river. Head clearing stuff that more people should do, even better for me if they do it somewhere else though ;o)
Rooksbury has changed a lot over the last seven years, most significantly over the last two years or so. There has been a lot of vegetation 'cut backs' and removing anything that is not indigenous. I understand the reasoning for leylandii even if I don't agree, but the cutting back of brambles, and other scrub that offers so much for birds, mammals and insects has turned the lakes into ornamental 'town' lakes, rather than what you'd expect for a designated LNR (local nature reserve). But I'll park that one there.
What are doing well at Rooksbury are the Water Voles. Always have in my time, so they must be doing something right. This morning the voles were on top form. Two showing well, within about five metres of each other, either side of the middle bridge. I don't know much about territory sizes so have some homework to do there but I was surprised to see them so close to each other.
I was on the lakes at around 7:45 a.m and the sun was low and offering good light as it shone through the bridge rails.
And a bit of video. This one I was stood over, watching from the bridge.
And a couple from last week.
I've yet to see or even hear a Kingfisher yet this year, but they have been spotted and snapped, so hopefully it wont be too long.
Should probably ride my bike again one day too, but that can wait for now.
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