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Home >> The Project Overview
The Project
An introduction, from Ann and Arthur Adlington:
We purchased Bassetts Lookout in Spring 2001 and soon after purchased further land around Bassetts Lookout, bringing our total to 64 acres. Our intention was to work out the best opportunities for conservation and biodiversity that the land had to offer. Our aim is to leave a legacy not only to our family but to flora and fauna and for our community to enjoy.
As we had some very boggy patches, we developed one area into a wildlife pond and bog area which is already flourishing and has an abundance of flora and fauna and boasts superb water quality. Whilst digging we realised the topsoil was A1 quality with clay underneath, which was the reason the water was held on the surface.
After much research, we realised that the preferred options for the future of our land included grazing, hay and wildflower meadows, hedging, stonewalling, restoration of historic sites and carp and coarse fishing lakes. A back-up, contingency, plan was also produced: bottled spring water from the aquifers which are predominant across all of our land and which produce superb water quality, superior to tap water.
Some twenty plus years ago, friends of ours - Steve and Jan Sloane - had dug out the Lakeside Lakes at Fell Gate and converted these into fishing lakes. Steve was instrumental in recognising the potential of our land for development into carp and coarse fishing lakes, identifying the clay as a natural lining material.
We finally decided to go forward and get planning permission for the various projects. It has taken 28 months of surveys, bore hole data, planning consultants, barristers, soil testing, water quality testing, water divining, researching British geological surveys, work with Dr Bruno Broughton (our fisheries management expert), the environmental agency, public rights of way officers, definitive map officers, NEDL, to name a few, to get through planning permissions and put the project plan together.
After planning permission was obtained we put in an application for a DEFRA Diversification Grant which was turned down. We decided to go ahead with Angel of the North Fishing Lakes without their assistance and began putting tenders out, interviewing and selecting contractors and working out a project plan of action to get the site ready and open for April 30th 2005. See 'The Build' and 'News' for details of our current status! The journey has taken 47 months from concept to opening on 30 April 2005.
We look forward to welcoming you to our site in the near future,
Ann and Arthur Adlington
