Serpentine works get river back on course

Work to repair the weir at Buxton's Serpentine Park is now complete thanks to an £85,000 restoration project led by High Peak Borough Council.

The river had breached the weir and was creating its own by-pass channel. The river was flowing through the by-pass channel which was subsequently undermining the river bank wall creating a large void and leading to localised flooding making the area inaccessible and potentially dangerous.

The Council appointed contractors Whitehouse Construction to carry out the repair scheme which has seen the creation of a new 14m reinforced concrete wall tied to the existing wall to keep the river following its intended route.

The river water was controlled using gravel bags to divert the water and create a dry environment so the wall could be built back up. The silt bed which had built up on the opposite bank has also been removed allowing the river to once again flow naturally.

Corbar ward Councillor Clive Johnson visited the site to take a look at the difference the works have made.

He said: "Even though most of the work is underground the impact of the project is plain - the river is now following the intended course and is not breaching the wall as it was previously.

"This investment in the environment by the Council has restored this tranquil haven so that people can continue to enjoy it, as nature intended, for generations to come."