Crown Lake

A very frosty start to the day was followed by brilliant sunshine. I had planned to get out early, while the light was good, but had forgotten our computer guy was coming, which involved a mega-tidy of the office so that he could actually get to the equipment without breaking his neck. I did manage to pop out into the garden and grab a few shots of frost and water droplets, but there seemed to be so many around on Blipfoto today that I decided to put them on my blog instead.

After the computer man left, Pete and I took the dogs to a country park on the eastern side of the city, located on the site of a disused brick-pit. Peterborough is an important area for brick-making as it lies on the Oxford Clay, which provides the raw material. At one time there were brickworks all round the city, but now there are only two remaining, both located in Whittlesey to the east.

The disused pits are really excellent for wildlife and a significant number are being used as public open space and nature reserves. This is a view from the top of one of the very few slopes in the area across Crown Lake, which is very deep, towards reed-beds which have established in shallower water. Beyond, the land rises up towards the Yaxley Ridge which at one time was located at the edge of the sea, and is now where the clay meets the peat soils of the Fens. In large, the silhouette of Yaxley Church can just be seen on the horizon.