environment

Vol. 11 No. 1 2004
unattractive public housing estate situated on a ridge
exposed to the cold winds of the winter of 73/74). Their
main industry was ‘Stoneware Ltd.’ a clay-ceramic works
nearby and where my site office was located. (A sparse
cabin with a paraffin heater not exactly ideal when fuel
of the fluid type is hard to come by). It was situated next
to old disused brickworks. The clay pipes being
produced nearby looked like an industry that should
have imploded on itself half a century earlier. Much of it
looked Victorian and even the their offices, an apology
of some unattractive small brick utility buildings had
antique filing cabinets made out of oak wood!
The pipeline would terminate there to supply a proposed
sludge treatment works. The solidified sludge would be
disposed of in what looked probably the not to distant
future, a disused clay pit. The question arose: would
the clay pit be suitable to contain the heavy metal
solidified sludge cake without contaminating the ground
water (assuming the groundwater was not
contaminated!). To make matters worse, Stoneware had
landscaped the spoil heap and part, despite levelling,
was slip failing Figure 1 showing the geology interpreted
at the time from the borehole logs and published
geological reports and a photo of the failure.
In the end the old clay quarry pit was not chosen and
the treatment works located elsewhere upstream of Lea
Marsten. I saw from a website the pit still exists and is
filled with water. It is used for diving. The website
described the visibility as very poor.
. I sent home a tongue in cheek letter at the time:
“You realize I keep a site diary, it goes something like
this:
WEATHER: Rain, windy, cool
ACTIVITY:
Rig one: on H12 about 3m
Rig two finish H24 moving to H26
Rig three on H25 down 20m
WATER LEVELS H9 32cm H2 31 cm H3.1 5cm, H3.2
6cm
PHONE CALLS: Steve Colback: he would like another
hole in old quarry workings. I said it would not be
possible since the rig has just moved out and the the
driller would not be pleased going back in. Lorry
Thompson (design/project engineer) told him (Steve
Colback) to address my mail to Swan Hotel and not site
office.
VISITORS: Mr. Jennings, Chief Geologist FE
(Foundation Engineering)
STONEWARE Ltd., Saw Mr. Faulkner, director.
1. He maintained he had the final option as to where
the pipeline should go.
Figure 3 Tourist brochure map of Kingsbury River Park. Note North is from lower right to upper left.
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