It is a 3C place for me. A place that helps me feel calmer, contented and connected to nature.
While it’s called a lake nowadays, Stocker’s Lake is in fact one of the oldest gravel pits along the River Colne. It is now part of the Colne Valley Regional Park, an area that stretches from Rickmansworth in the north to Staines and the Thames in the south, and from Uxbridge and Heathrow in the east, to Slough and Chalfont St Peter in the west.
The Park contains, amongst other things, a whole series of lakes, including Batchworth, Bury, Inns, Springwell and Stocker’s. They are all the result of gravel and clay excavation. Much of the gravel was used in developments in London during the 1920s and 30s, but, more famously, some was used in the construction of what is now the old Wembley Stadium.
The Grand Union Canal runs through the Park too, so at some points there is a convergence of lake, river and canal.
Stocker’s Lake is however my favourite of the lakes. It’s probably a quieter lake, due to its lack of tarmac path, absence of watersports and distance from the car park. It’s designated as a nature reserve and very much the preserve of bird watchers and anglers.
I’m not sure if I would call it “my happy place”, one of the latest buzzwords in health and wellness, but showing my background in marketing, which is a profession full of alliterated acronyms, 4Ps and 5Ws, it is a 3C place for me. A place that helps me feel calmer, contented and connected to nature.
I’m a very regular visitor and have been going there at least once a week for the last year, right through the lockdowns when it’s been allowed.
I’ve seen the seasons come and go, with buds, leaves, blooms and birds; lots of different birds. There have been birds that have migrated in and later moved on, I’ve seen birds nesting and with their young, I’ve seen birds growing and transforming from cute ducklings, goslings and signets to elegant ducks, geese and swans.
I’ve been getting better at identifying the birds but am still strictly an amateur.
I always carry my camera, sometimes just happy to capture the light through the trees, the reflections on the lake and the flowers along the footpath. Mostly I’m trying to take pictures of the birds, swimming on the lake or perching in the trees and, if I’m feeling lucky, in flight. I shoot lots of photos although, when I review them, most are consigned to the recycle bin on my desktop.
I’ve been lucky enough to see birds I never knew existed, some that look more exotic than this suburb of London, Rickmansworth appears to warrant, particularly on a grey winter’s morning. I remember one occasion when I bumped into a clearly experienced twitcher who told me he had been out since 7.00 and had seen 37 different species of bird in about two and half hours.
I generally set out from home between 7.30 and 8.00, getting to the lakes about 30 minutes later. My ‘typical’ walk takes me down the Grand Union canal to a field that is often flooded in winter and draws a rich variety of waterbirds. From there it’s back over the canal and into the reserve in which Stocker’s Lake sits. Two thirds of the way round I make the decision whether I’ll cross into Inns Lake and on to Springwell Lake or carry on round Stocker’s to where it meets up with the Colne River, before maybe moving to Bury Lake. I’m often out for three or so hours.
The choice of which route is made on a number of grounds. How wet is it, as the path around Springwell can turn into a stream if it’s been raining heavily for a number of days, what time of year is it, as, for example, March offers the real chance of seeing a Kingfisher if you carry on round Stocker’s Lake. Alternatively, it can be down to how much time I have and how lazy or energetic I feel.
I probably should have started this blog a year ago when I started visiting but somehow never got round to it. Now, many months later, I’m going to try and right (write – bad pun I know) that wrong.
Each blog will revolve around a different theme, will be around 500-750 words long and contain a few photographs, all of which I will have taken, so some will be better quality than others.
Writing won’t be easy but limiting myself to just a few photos each time will be even harder.
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