Digging a lake in France

Well now is the time to consider digging the lake as the Moulin takes a new turn in its renovation, I feel an expense coming on for machinery, namely a JCB, in fact not any JCB but a JCB 3cx as it will enable maximum flexibility.

The inside of the mill is now being renovated because at last the outside is finished and the building is intact and looking fantastic, after craning in the heavy glass facia into the new side elevation we are secure and complete. The interior will make quick progress and whilst I have been busy with my business partner planning out the bedrooms etc it suddenly occurred to me that I have not planned the lake.

The concept of the lake has been with me since we bought the mill becuase there is a natural ampitheatre that has a very high water table, this itself is a problem in Winter as the wetlands get wetter and then flood. The answer is to dig a lake into the shell and then pipe excess water in Winter to the streams.

For this purpose a JCB will do the job, the lake does not have to be deep so a JCB 3cx will dig straight into the water table, needing only 6 feet of reach as the water table is only 6 ins down even in summer.

Ready for the lake - a JCB 3CX needs to be purchased

This is a versatile machine and will also allow us to easily house it securely for further projects, having a digger like this permenently onsite will prove invaluable in the coming months. Its a godsend in one way that the water table is so high, it will enable the lake to naturalise quickly and will become a very blended addition in no time at all.

Trees and bushes will be kept and there will be no steep banks going down to the water, care must be taken to create a weir for the Winter but that should be fine.

In full flow the JCB starts to dig the lake

We bought the machine through a machine and plant sales website  and this facility was perfect for our needs, we will also need a good pump to remove water to the stream whilst we work and again dex will have a facility for this plant purchase.

I am so looking forward to this and the only additional cost will be the two week hire of Dumpers to carry away the spoil, all in all the lake should add 50k of value at a minimum and once populated with a healthy stock of large Carp courtesy of a close contact we should be well away for a bit of fishing too!