Key steps closer to reviving a long-lost feature at Fairhaven Lake
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The Japanese Gardens, one of the original features of Fairhaven Lake, were covered over several decades ago but their restoration is a key component of the current major upgrade going on at the popular venue between Lytham and St Annes.
Following the award of £1.5m National Lottery Heritage funding in December 2018, the restoration project aims to conserve and restore Fairhaven’s heritage buildings and landscape.
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Hide AdAs well as the completion of the circular pathway around the Lake, the landscape aspect of the package involves restoration of the Japanese Gardens, which have now been excavated and are to be planted in the coming months.
The water level in that section of the Lake has been lowered to allow the stepping stones which allow access to the Gardens to be raised and consequently boat hire at the venue is not available this weekend.
Charlie Richards, senior project manager at Fylde Council said: "We have excavated the original Japanese Gardens which were covered over sometime in the 1980’s.
"All the original stonework was in tact and in the same place that it was originally before being buried.
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Hide Ad"We have built a viewing platform on the west side of the gardens which is adjacent to the old Second World War battle stations and have created accessible pathways circling the gardens so that everybody can enjoy them.
"The works undertaken this week have been to raise the stepping stones so that they correspond with the optimum lake level as this is where the lagoon is fed from.
"The Japanese Gardens will be planted by the new gardening team at Fairhaven over the next few months.
"The water level is lowered at the moment in order for the contractors to raise the stepping stones. It will remained lowered this weekend as the tides aren’t sufficient to top the lake up however we have sufficient tides next week. My estimate is that the lake should be at its ‘normal’ level by Tuesday (September 21)."
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Hide AdMeanwhile, the cafe at the Lake will be the last of the three heritage buildings at the Lake to be reopened, following the restoration of the boathouse and RSPB information centre, and a date for that is expected to be announced shortly.
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