the Drought

Still no significant rain forecast. Nonetheless, the willow trees by the pond and the wild flowers seem to be coping surprisingly well, especially those in the new teasel patch at the shaded West end of the reserve.

The pond though is another story, and the water level is already very low.

Transferring water from the River Frome

So that it doesn’t become critical we have started pumping water from the river. The Water Resources Act permits the abstraction of 20 cubic metres per day, but to keep the pond nitrate levels low we will only transfer less than 10 cubic metres per week. Denitrifying bacteria in the pond sediment will use the nitrate as a source of oxygen for anaerobic respiration, converting it to nitrogen gas, which will escape into the air. This way the nitrate levels will be reduced again, preventing algal blooms and consequent deoxygenation of the water.

Hornwort heaps awaiting composting

As it is, last week, before we began pumping, there were one or two dead sticklebacks near the stage. In last year’s heatwave the same occurred, most likely due to the hornwort, which normally acts as an oxygenator, but is now probably depleting the pond of oxygen as it decays in the hot sun. So once more we have raked out some of the hornwort and, before composting it, will leave it on the bank for a week to allow any inadvertently transported aquatic wildlife to return to the pond.

Update on 11th August 2026

We have been pumping 3 cubic metres into the pond each week since the beginning of July, sufficient to maintain the level past the front legs of the stage. A water quality test today shows that the nitrate and phosphate levels have not risen since earlier in the year (see the March post) so are still within the low nutrients zone.

Teasel

the Colour-wheel

Despite its somewhat confusing scientific name Dipsacus fullonium, the common teasel was not generally used by the local cloth industry, rather the heads of the related Dipsacus sativus were taken for the gig mills. You can see two of the latter type of teasel plants in the colour-wheel at the Reserve; they are now in their second year and in flower.

Dipsacus sativus

While the chaff (bristles) on the head of the common teasel are straight, those of the true fuller’s teasel are slightly hooked, all the better for catching the woollen fibres and raising the nap of broadcloth.

Teasels for the mills were found in Gloucestershire, and locally they were grown commercially on Ebley Meadows and at Eastington.

wildflower and teasel patch at QEII reserve

Besides the two plants in the colour-wheel, which will be harvested this year for the Nailsworth Gigg mill, there is now a patch with annual wildflowers and around 40 young fuller’s teasels at the West end of the Reserve. A sister patch is being cultivated by Dudbridge lower lock.

wildflower and teasel patch at Dudbridge

Teasel is a biennial and dies after flowering; although it should self-seed, to ensure an annual crop, next year more seedlings will be raised and placed in-between the current plants. Unfortunately the two varieties of teasel readily hybridise so we cannot guarantee the true fuller’s teasel from seed harvested here.