Lake

When the parkland of the Thornes estate was opened to the public in 1924 it included two lakes with a number of islands on them. There was a smaller lake upstream of the present lake which extended almost as far as the Gardener’s House and this was filled in around 1970. A boathouse stood at the lower end of the large lake until about 1960. Now Canada Geese, mallards, moorhens and swans are the main birds to be seen on the lake. On the larger island in the lake once stood a statue of Pandora in a small temple which was eventually destroyed in severe weather in 1970.