[Bright Raven]

New Year project, to dig out enough ground for a productive trout a pond. I would like to try using clay as a liner and stocking with either brown or rainbow trout. I am going to start by researching how the monks did it! If anyone has any good links or advice that would be great. Also could i keep a few ducks on the same pond or not?

[princesspiggy]

we had an empty pond when we moved here, we were told it was clay lined but wasnt sure if it was. we filled it and we had to keep topping it up for 1st year (hence our doubt), then after that it sealed itself. if you keep ducks, would they not eat your fish? and ducks will poo in the water and make it filthy. the old fashioned way to clay a pond, (apparently they rotated pond sites every few years but not sure why, ) was to put the clay in place then herd the cattle into empty pond and theyre feet do all the hard work for you. good luck

[robert waddell]

If you were closer i would offer my services (15 ton excavator with power tilt bucket).I done one for myself years ago did not line it. It has attracted herons,ducks and dragon fly's.The normal way to line a pond now is with membrane the same as they use for sealed tips. It really depends on the type of soil or sub soil that you are going to dig into. The best thing to do is to create your pond in a naturally wet area then you don't have to bother with liner either clay or membrane.The other thing i would say if you have small children think again or if you need it for fire fighting purposes.

[bamford6]

dig square hole line bottom second hand slabs then use sleepers mine is the same as the house very good done rite

[doganjo]

How big is your pond going to be?  I'd love a pond but with 5 ducks it would be a waste of time.  Ducks will eat smaller fish.

[waterhouse]

The definitive guide is the BTCV Wetlands and Waterways manual.  Good luck with the puddling.

http://shop.btcv.org.uk/shop/level2/59/stock/956

[robert waddell]

aw naw not another crap book thats what i should do write books i would make a fortune pigs/ digging holes/archeology/ofroading/tractor ma

intenance/making hay /cattle/life            take me out and shoot me crap crap and more crap and this is me in a good mood
forgot the fencing dyking foot paths drainage landscaping treefelling/planting plumbing electical work building people skills or lack of (worked with to many wegies)  o and most important comuting on the M8 in rush hour

[waterhouse]

Obviously.  But you haven't written them, have you?

These guys have been doing this stuff for decades before it got fashionable.  The first version I saw was in the seventies.  So they actually know what they're doing, they're sharing their knowledge and that's a very good thing for all those people who want to start.  Their robustly bound manuals also cover dry stone walling, fencing, footpaths and a pile of other skills that most people don't have from birth.

As the Civil Aviation Authority says "learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make all of them for yourself"

[robert waddell]

oh well back to the bad baby corner i may not have written books sorry coppied other peoples books but i have DONE IT there is a difference to throwing shillings at some joker that takes you for a mug

[katie]

You may need palnning permission to dig a pond. That's what we were told. Might be worth checking...

[robert waddell]

katie just do it once it is done if they object just apply for retospective planning thats we we do  nothing beats a good splat

[doganjo]

To a degree, that makes sense.  We asked and were told we needed planning consent above a certain size, so we didn't go ahead - I wish now that we had dug out the pond first and asked afterwards.  However, it should be borne in mind that as far as retrospective planning consent goes it is far easier to have a pond filled in than a house pulled  down!

[RUSTYME]

if the land is agricultural , then you don't need planning to plough it !!! So plough the land and discover that there are loads of stones that need removing = a big hole .....or what a shame you are a terrible ploughman ... you have ended up with a great big hole that has filled with water ... bugger the planners ... with all the cut backs I am sure they will be looking for a pond !!! ..

cheers

Russ

[robert waddell]

we done this with a a shed 60/40 not planning but council concent  did not cost anything retrospectively planning for the advertising cost money but we won it on appeal

[katie]

Unfortunately, where we would like a pnd is at the bottom of an orchard so the ploughing idea wouldn't work. We are tempted to just take a mini-digger down and dig it anyway but as the neighbours are so cross with us for winning planning for a mobile home, I bet it would be reported within minutes!