History

Nestled between the school and the playing fields is a rather unique feature: a ravine. This pit was, in all likelihood, used as a grab pit during the construction of the Great Central Way. Over time, it has been colonised by nature: Leicester’s clay soils have supported the creation of a lake at the bottom of the ravine, and its banks have become home to an array of flora. 

Historically, it has been used by children at the school. Parents who attended the school as children will often share memories of pond dipping, mini beast hunts or just enjoying the time spent in this very special space. 

However, over time the site became overgrown and the pond was completely shaded. The boardwalk, constructed about 10 years ago, began to rot. 

It required some management to restore its accessibility and its value as a habitat. After some tree work to increase the amount of light entering the ravine and remove unsafe trees, we created new habitats such as dead hedges, which are a fantastic habitat for a range of amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals and invertebrates, and hibernacula for amphibians and reptiles.

The boardwalk and steps were removed and replaced with a recycled plastic alternative. Recycled plastic has a long life and can be recycled at the end of it. Any off cuts from the plastic boards during construction were sent back to the manufacturer to be recycled and made into new items.