THE lake which claimed the life of dramatist W S Gilbert a century ago has been revamped after a protected species of amphibian was found there.
Great crested newts were discovered in the pond of the Grim's Dyke Hotel in Old Redding, Harrow Weald, 100 years after the composer and former owner of the house suffered a heart attack while trying to rescue a drowning local girl, Ruby Preece, to whom he was giving a swimming lesson.
In an effort to preserve the habitat and the creatures it supports, the garden feature - which fell into decline following Gilbert's death at the age of 74 - is being been de-silted and restored.
It all started because ecology graduate Claire Abbott, XX, warden of Stanmore's Pear Wood Nature Reserve, obtained a 'newt licence' to study the creatures in her home town of Stanmore.
She said: "This is the third year that I have been searching and as, up until now, I have been undertaking this alone, progress has been steady but quite slow.
"The season is short and the process time-consuming - searching for eggs by daylight and for adults at night with torches.
"Top of my list for more searching was the grounds of the Grim's Dyke Hotel. I know the grounds well and it certainly appeared the right sort of place with several different bodies of water close by.
"I had also heard rumours that great crested newts had been seen here in recent years. With the kind permission of the hotel, I had surveyed the water in 2010 but due to time constraints and yet more ponds to get to, I had move on."
Mrs Abbott got in touch with environmental charity Froglife which arranged a much more extensive survey with volunteers this spring that proved her hunches right.
She said: "At last these beautiful, shy and elusive creatures had shown themselves - the first great crested newt that I had seen in the area for about 30 years.
"The adult newt that we found was in what remains of what was once Gilbert's Lake but has now divided into a series of small ponds.
"The lake is so named as it was not part of the original house and landscaping but was put in by W. S. Gilbert and was said to be his pride and joy.
"It originally covered about one and a half acres - he later extended it - and had an island with a jetty in the centre, a boathouse, and changing hut.
"In order that it would look 'mature' and blend in with the rest of the gardens, it was planted with large numbers of bulrushes, forget-me-knots and water lilies.
"The great spearwort and royal fern were probably also planted by Gilbert. The lake was stocked with Californian trout and became Gilbert's favourite place. He would bathe in it daily and sadly in the end, it claimed his life.
"Gilbert would be pleased that we have found what is now a rare and protected animal in his lake.
" His love of wildlife was well known although not very well understood in his own time. He banned hunting of any kind on his land and along with his home farm, bees, doves and his private menagerie, his land became a refuge for local wildlife."
When I was growing up in Stanmore, I can remember catching great crested newts, taking them home (across the road) observing them for a few days and taking them back. Now, not only would this be illegal but virtually impossible due to how rare these beautiful animals have become.
I was therefore very pleased when Anna Cohen, Harrow's previous Biodiversity Officer suggested that a few of us from Harrow Nature Conservation Forum went on a course to learn about these protected newts and how best to locate them. Unfortunately none of us had any luck. I felt there must surely be some left in Harrow and knew that they had been found just over the border in Hertfordshire. Having already studied ecology, I decided to follow up the course and obtained a 'newt license' to enable me to survey more scientifically. I then made a start on the ditches, ponds and lakes in Stanmore.
What remains today of Gilbert's Lake, he probably would not recognise. It is still possible to see the landscaping of the island and the posts of the boathouse. The water that remains is very shallow, over the years the silt and leaves have built up on the bottom and many trees have taken root in this. Without remedial action no doubt the lake would disappear altogether. History records that such was the upset of Gilbert's death that not only was bathing banned but most of the lake was drained. During Gilbert's time, it was drained and refilled each year.
Since finding great crested newts there, I am glad to report that the situation is improving greatly. Thanks to the owners of the Grimsdyke Hotel, the charity 'Froglife' and Harrow Council, funds are available and lake restoration is now taking place. Already many of the invading willow trees have been removed from the northeastern end and a digger has cleared the silt from this part of the lake floor. Unfortunately over the decades most of the pipework that was used for the annual emptying and refilling have become buried but it is thought that the water must come from nearby springs, of which there are many on the higher ground in Stanmore, where the more recent free-draining Pebble Gravels meets the older London Clay deposits underneath. Some of these springs flow only for part of the year. Due to the unusual geology, much of Harrow Weald Common is a SSSI.
Hopefully, the future of great crested newts in the grounds of The Grimsdyke is now secure. The work being done at this historic and scientifically important site will also benefit many other forms of aquatic life, such as dragonflies and water birds as well as amphibians. Many thanks are due to The Grimsdyke, 'Froglife', Harrow Council and the volunteers who have taken part in this project.
his ashes buried at the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Stanmore.[9]
