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STOCKED WITH
CARP, TENCH, ROACH, RUDD, PERCH AND
OTHER COARSE FISH
OPEN DAWN until DUSK
TEL: 01726 73154
Glenleigh Farm
STICKER
St Austell
Cornwall
THE HISTORY OF
GLENLEIGH FARM FISHERY
In 1997 we moved into Glenleigh Farm feeling very excited and with great trepidation. We could see its potential but how were we going to carry out our plans to bring it back to life and restore its obvious beauty?
The answers – many hours of hard work, blood, sweat and tears! We feel we have nearly achieved our aims and hope you will agree.
Andrew spent the first few weeks in the boat pulling out bulrushes as they had spread and taken over a good two thirds of the lake – fortunately that was one of our drier months! He, his dad and some friends then went to work with strimmers, chainsaws and countless other implements to try to clear the overgrown trees and vegetation. At certain points you could not work out where the banks finished and the island started.
New Years Eve, 1997 the swing shovel (and Uncle Frank) arrived to dredge out the silted up areasas there were a few places where there were literally inches of water. This went to plan until lunch time when the rain started. By 3pm we were rained off and wondered how we were ever going to get this job done. Never mind clearing the silt – the lake had disappeared! Flood water was flowing in through the muddy lane gate three bars up – we had never seen anything like it. Work was abandoned!
Eventually we got the job done and were left with the expected quagmire so it was left to dry out – not a quick jobin Cornwall!
Marcus (the friendly fishing expert) was called in to explain how we could go about turning this little lake at the bottom of the garden into somewhere that could be called a fishery. He told us how to make the swims, what extra fish we could need (we had already spotted some fantastic looking tench and carp) and countless other things that we didn’t even realise we needed to know!
The next stage of improvements hadbegun! It was spring and we could feel Glenleigh coming to life. As Andrew and Sean (another great, helpful mate) built the fishing platforms out of old pallets and anything else we could find (money was minimal!) they were joined by robins, dragonflies and an abundance of wildlife we had never set eyes on before. Buds burst, flowers bloomed and, very slowly, the mud disappeared.
May 1998 – we were ready to open but would anybody come?
May Bank Holiday and we had cars in the car park – what a result. A stroll down the lawn to see who was there took over an hour! There were two fishermen who thought it was wonderful and we chatted for ages. Constructive criticism has always been welcomed and we received plenty!
Advertising was a minefield! Did it warrant spending fortunes on big ads or should we see what would happen? Being poor Cornish folk we decided to let word of mouth work its magic – it worked!
By the end of the summer we were beginning to feel as though we had a fishery. One thing concerned us – these fishermen (mostly retired gentlemen) brought a huge amount of equipment and it was rather a long walk from the lake to the car park, over very bumpy ground. At that time the car park was by the house and the fishermen had to walk down the lane and in the muddy lane gate.
Out came the turf cutter and a few more mates! A path was made down the length of the lawn which would make life much easier for everyone – eventually!
The lake and access arrangements stayed like this for a couple of years whilst we cracked on with other necessary improvements around the property.
As the fishery became more popular we realised that we had more changes to make. We were getting a lot of older people and some with disabilities were not able to make the walk to the lake. After many hours of research we came to the conclusion that there were no fisheries in the area that catered for those less able fishing enthusiasts.
We learnt that there were Objective One grants available from the Rural Access Fund so duly applied. Eventually we were awarded a grant and so the further works began.
Firstly all the pallet platforms had to be removed and accessible ones built where possible to enable those anglers in wheelchairs to anchor themselves to the bank. Others had handrails attached to them and some were given gentle slopes to them. Once again, we couldn’t have done these without the support of yet more very able friends. A bridge from what would be the new car park was erected and the biggest alteration, the new car park, was started. Once again it was Uncle Frank and the swing shovel that carried out most of the work for this, along with a very long queue of lorries from local companies dropping of the hardcore base. Because of the abundance of wildlife in the vicinity we also added the bird hide at this time, as well as the picnic benches and bat/bird boxes.
Nothing was wasted – the logs were used as eco-piles both on the island and elsewhere on the property, smaller branches were chipped to cover pathways and green waste was composted.
What a difference!
We were now able to offer all anglers the chance to spend time at Glenleigh.
That was six years ago and we have never looked back.
The hard work and extremely long hours for us and our friends was well worth it. The fishery is ever evolving and every day brings the joy of noticing something new there. We have managed to create a little eco-system that looks after itself beautifully.
THE PEOPLE
We have made some fantastic friends over the years at Glenleigh and met some very interesting characters.
We have been visited by war-time Spitfire pilots and ex London gangland associates to mention just two.
Friends have been made with people from all over the country who popped in whilst on holiday for a days fishing and have been coming to visit every year since.
When we first opened we were regularly visited by a group of young village lads – most summer evenings we would wander around the lake and have a chat. It is hard to believe that those youngsters are now grown men, fathers themselves, bringing their children on their first fishing trips. There is now a whole new generation of young people keeping that cycle going.
Having Glenleigh Park on our doorstep enables people from there visit us whether to just stroll down to sit awhile, walk the dog or take photographs of the scenery, as well as do a spot of fishing. We love to wander around and have a chat, as do our dogs who love the attention (and the food!).
The Fishery Members are the biggest asset we have. All of them are local people, young and old, and all really understand what Glenleigh is about. We would not be able to keep Glenleigh Farm Fishery looking as good as it does without them. If they see a bit of rubbish they pick it up, if something needs attending to they either do it or they tell us about it, if someone is not obeying the rules they certainly let them know! If we are working at the lake we are a never short of offers of help from willing volunteers – they really are amazing.
OUR GREEN ACTION PLAN
The gardens and grounds here at Glenleigh form an integral part of both our business and family lives. Therefore, we are totally committed to both maintaining and enhancing our natural environment. The following gives some indication of how we are achieving this:
Extensive tree planting scheme - four trees are planted for every tree that is lost Composting of green waste Chipping of wood waste Eco piles and use of logs in woodburners Natural bank stabilisation using willow etc around lakeside Areas left wild to encourage both mammal, insect and bird habitat Coppicing of willow for mixed age habitat Encouragement of aquatic birds by avoiding disturbance on island Bat/bird boxes placed around property
We have undertaken some basic environmental monitoring and the following have been observed:
Birds Kingfishers, Grey Wagtails, Herons, Coots, Moorhens, Swallows, Swifts, Canadian Geese, Mallards, Mute Swans, Barn Owls and
Woodpeckers as well as the more common garden birds
Mammals Water Voles, Squirrels, Rats, Bats (Pipistrelle &
others), Water Shrews, Foxes, Badgers,
Hedgehogs, Moles and many species of Mice
Amphibians Common Smooth Newts, Toads/Frogs
Reptiles Grass Snakes, Adders, Common Lizards and Slow
Worms
Insects Several varieties of butterflies and moths, Damsel
Flies, Dragon Flies and all those too numerous to
mention!
Please inform us if you see anything that you think would be interesting to us and future visitors to Glenleigh.
Sustainability Policy Statement
Recognising our responsibilities.
Glenleigh Farm Fishery is committed to sustainability through legislation, regulatory requirements and best practice. We also recognise our social and economic responsibilities towards the environment both locally and globally.
We have the following main objectives
Environmental
- To promote the use of energy efficient systems in our buildings.
- To minimise waste from our business, by reducing, reusing and recycling.
- To discourage the use of fertilisers, chemicals and other harmful agents.
- To maintain and enhance our natural environment
- To encourage the use of public transport
- To assess any future development of our business in relation to its impact on the environment.
Social
- Employ local people/craftsmen
- Promote other local attractions
- Endorse "Cornishness"
Economic
- Where possible to purchase from suppliers who share our commitment to the above
- To promote local facilities such as shops, pubs etc
General
- To communicate effectively our policies to visitors and employees and to encourage them to participate in our schemes
To measure our performance periodically through both internal and external audits.
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