Civil and Environmental Engineering expert, Land & Water, is pleased to announce the completion of phase one essential maintenance works on the lakes at Blenheim.
The works, which commenced in June, are part of a larger restoration project taking place at Blenheim Estate to future-proof the grounds of the World Heritage Site.
Over the past few months, Land & Water, complying to its Safety-First Standard, has successfully restored the Grand Cascade Apron, which controls the lakes at Blenheim and are fed from the River Glyme, including the apron, weir wall and foundations, alongside the main head bank wave wall using Land and Water Plant’s extensive Fleet to protect the banks from future erosion.
This unveiled a huge discovery of timber piles, dating back to over 300 years ago when the original Lake and Cascade were constructed. This has provided an insightful look into the history and the technique of one of England’s most renowned landscape designers, Capability Brown.
A resin injection cut off wall, the largest undertaken in the UK to date, was then installed, running the full width of the apron, to seal against any future water ingress issues.
Kevin Kirkland, Construction Director at Land & Water, says: “With extra safety measures in place to protect against the recent pandemic, I am extremely proud of the project team for completing work.
“Along with the removal of the Apron and resin injection works, we have also carried out repairs to the centuries old wave wall which will ensure the protection of the pool for years to come.”
This prestigious project is just one of the ways Blenheim’s grounds will be conserved for decades to come, maintaining the estate’s wonderful, historic lake.
Discussing the project, Blenheim Estates Director Roy Cox says: “Land & Water have impressed in this tricky project to preserve Blenheim’s World Heritage landscape, working hard to respect the craftmanship that was put into the weir 300 years ago.
“The discovery of the original timber piles reminds us of the skills employed in creating such iconic landscapes and we are working to now share this interesting piece of history with our guests.”
