Pond build 02

Pond construction

Ron's pond 2. Digging out the pond

Much time was spent deciding on the easiest and most cost effective way of digging and removing the spoil. After re-using the topsoil in various parts of the garden, around 25m3 (28tons or so) of subsoil would be removed from the excavation which needed disposing of. As the front of the property has a large block-paved driveway I covered the area with thick boards and plastic sheeting and simply barrowed the spoil to make a huge pile at the front of the house for collection. Two visits from a grab lorry costing £120+vat each cleared the whole pile in around 20 minutes per visit with no more effort on my part. With skips locally costing over £100+vat each, not to mention the labour involved in filling them, the grab lorry proved to be an excellent option for me. TIP. The driveway must be lined with thick plywood or similar as the pressure from the grab will ruin most driveways.

These pictures show the pond roughly 30% excavated. Fortunately the topsoil and clay only went to a depth of around 15” and the following subsoil was light and sandy which made digging easier. The yellow pipe is a gas main that leads to the boiler at the back of the garden; this will eventually be re-laid behind the pond wall. Also, a heavy downpour of rain attempted to fill the pond prematurely shortly after work finished for the day!

The second days digging finished the excavation all bar a few inches to be removed from the base. Work proceeded much faster today mainly due to a helper (thanks Dad) who barrowed the spoil to the front of the house for me. A second pipe was also uncovered at this stage, this time a water main, again something I had previously laid to serve the existing pond. Fortunately, again, this pipe is positioned in a place that requires no further work to re-hide behind the new pond wall.
	After the final few inches were removed from the base the Cheshire water-table also ‘appeared’ which would present a challenge as work moved to digging out the bottom drain runs. NOTE. Ron has dug this out by hand as he did not have access for a mechanical digger. Check here for alternative methods.
	Click on any image for a larger image
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This website started with a booklet which I made up originally for the help of those members of the BKKS - South Wales Section who were intending to start building a koi pond, and as the website has expanded more information and articles from other people have been included. This is for general guidance only, and we do not take any responsibility for problems that might occur by following these ideas. It is important that you check out everything in your area, and check on local laws and rules that may apply.

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