There’s something fishy going on at the former royal residence of Osborne House in East Cowes, but the goings-on are all legitimate.
English Heritage has started a project to drain a reservoir near Osborne House. 2 feet of silt and gunge needs to be removed from the pond constructed in the 1850’s to supply the system of fire fighting hydrants and garden irrigation at the former royal residence on the Isle of Wight.
The reservoir is a stone’s throw from the house, but is regarded as a secret spot on the estate as it is hidden from view by a small woodland.
Timothy Fagg, English Heritage’s Maintenance Project Manager explains:
“What makes this a particular challenge is that for the last 15 years, fish have taken up residence in the reservoir. Before we can begin, we need to relocate these into a new temporary reservoir on site. We’ve caught several carp, koi, and hundreds of goldfish!”
Specialist nature conservation and habitat management contactors Five Rivers have used a seine fishing net dragged along the bottom, ensuring that no fish are left in the reservoir. In total around 600 fish, large and small, have been relocated to their new home.
If a fire broke out at Osborne the water from the reservoir would be used by the fire service. This silt would block the pumps, and the condition of the water would cause extra damage to Osborne’s interior in the event of fire.
This project aims to drain, remove the silt and refill the reservoir ensuring clean water is available. To avoid putting the house at risk a series of temporary water holding systems have been installed with the same capacity as the reservoir.
Rob Flower, Osborne General Manager says:
“Caring for Osborne, its special places and the collections for the benefit of this and future generations is a cornerstone of everything we do. The generous support of members and visitors, as well as donors enables us to do this. The project to maintain the reservoir is part of the largest on-going conservation programme in English Heritage’s history.”
