Deputy Headmaster and Eco Master Graham Oakley organized a working party of teachers, parents, children and friends to start a clean up and restoration project with the two fish ponds on the Royle which is in the Duke of Norfolk School grounds.
These two ponds where part of a four pond system which was located on the Duke of Norfolk's estate.The breeding pond was located in the present day Manor Park Rose Garden and has been filled in ( future Glossop Schools eco project to reinstate it ???).
The main fish pond is still in the park and has been used as a boating Lake in the past. Extensive dredging by the council saved it from silting up in the 1980's. (they sometimes get thing right!!!). The two Royle ponds where the holding ponds for the mature carp which were then either eaten fresh at the Manor House or placed in the ice house for later out of season eating.
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These ponds were neglected and almost filled in when local TV.Cleb Stewart Hall jumped on the ill thought out Ester,Ransom band wagon to have all ponds in the UK filled in, and organized a petition to get this done. Although the Council agreed to do this ( I fought against it) fortunately by council incompetence or a council workers forethought only a 1/4 of one of the ponds was filled in.
To see these forward thinking youngsters and parents restoring part of our heritage was very gratifying especially when I remember the first small perch that I caught in the pond when I was 7 years old.