The little pool under Bryer Court used to be home to about a hundred Ghost Carp. Unfortunately, the water is so shallow, and the fish got so big, that their fins and backs were often out of the water and they got sunburn. They had to be moved into the big lake and then they were moved with all the other fish in 2004 when the main lake was ‘refurbished’.

The Bryer ‘pond’ used to be full of bulrushes. Moor hens and their young were able to nest there in complete safety because, although the water is only a few inches deep, the foxes couldn’t get at them – they won’t go into water.

The Bryer Court pond was emptied and resurfaced as part of the major repairs to the surface of Beech Gardens, but has since been restored, albeit with less attractive vegetation.

At present (2019) Bryer Court pond looks more like a municipal swimming pool than a lake because the bottom has become an unnatural shade of blue. This is caused by a vegetable dye which is being put in the water. The purpose is to get rid of ‘blanket weed’ which, if left unattacked, can take over the lake. It works by filtering the sunlight and this prevents the weed from photosynthesising which it needs in order to grow. (Apparently the dye is harmless and, although it is more noticeable in Bryer Court pond, it has been used in the lakes for some years. I guess this is being said to reassure us.)