The £400,000 lake restoration project in St George Park is finally officially open to the public after almost a year of work. The Bristol City Council-funded project was due to be completed in May, but suffered delays in part due to the heatwaves and lack of rainfall over the summer preventing the lake from filling up with water.
All fences have been removed aside from those surrounding the amphitheatre, which will remain in place until the grass on the new public viewing area has fully grown. By the end of this year the council hopes to install information boards about the history, biodiversity and ecology of the lake.
Local resident and photographer Bernard Bryden is enjoying returning to the lake after its 10-month closure. Bernard, who cares for his father-in-law in Redfield, takes wildlife photography while resting at the lake.
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Bernard, who regularly visits the lake, had several of his photos featured in The Friend’s of St George Park calendar, after winning a photography competition. Over the past few days, he has seen a range of birds visiting the lake, including swans and herons.
He said: “With the prices of things going up, this is a nice little place to get away from it all and it’s open to everyone. It’s so convenient, I can get a little bit of time away and come back quite quickly if anything happens. You’ve got the birdlife here, which is great and then you’ve got the turning of the leaves with autumnal colours coming in. They’ve re-tarmacked the path so it’s brand new all the way around.”
The paths around the lake have all been resurfaced and a new decking area has been created, making viewing the lake safer for younger children. There are bird and bat boxes.
Although the lake has only been open for a few days, the delays caused some frustration, with fences being pulled down. Bernard said: “Eventually people just got fed up with waiting. First you get the young teenage lads going around and then you get the older generation going up, it was kind of open by that point anyway, people had decided. It’s lovely, it’s filling up nicely which is great."
In the next few months, seeds will be planted on the island to improve ground cover and add to biodiversity. Works carried out on the Victorian lake include strengthening the walls, desilting, improving drainage and putting in new benches.
New signs prohibiting fishing have been installed. Although historically fishing was allowed, new park bylaws mean this is no longer the case.
Councillor Ellie King and cabinet member of public health and communities, highlighted the importance of the recent investment of the lake to tackle the ecological emergency. She wrote: “Since 1970, 60 per cent of wild invertebrates and up to 76 per cent of insects have been lost globally. When we announced our Ecological Emergency in 2020, we committed to doing as much as we could to bring back this lost wildlife to communities in Bristol. Through investment in projects such as St George Park Lake, we hope to provide more habitats for animal and plant life to flourish in our city.
“St George Park Lake has reopened to the public after restoration, repair and enhancement works. I am sure people will enjoy strolling around the lake and spotting all the changes and over time looking out for new wildlife who will make this their home.”
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