Fill a large hole in the garden !!

[smallzoo]

We inherited a large pond ( 8 x 4 x 2 metres ) which we want to empty. I have had some horrendous quotes for filling with concrete ( £6000+ ! )

I am looking for ideas to either fill it with something cheaper or make a a SAFE feature of it. Decking has been suggested but that would leave a loarge hole underneath and make me very nervous about the kids and maybe what might get under there ( bees, wasps, rats... )

Any ideas ?

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

fill it with earth and let it be part of the garden.

You might get some for nothing if you join your local Freegle group.

You must remove, or at least break up, the pond liner first, unless you want a bog garden.

 

[smallzoo]

The pond was put in at some expense so has concrete walls !

Seems like an awful lot of soil but I will investigate

 

[r896neo]

i would fill it with subsoil and at least 6 inches of top soil at the top. Be prepared to top dress a few times over the following years to keep it level.

Your best bet might be to try a local digger/ groundworks company who it may suit to do it as they may have subsoil dug out from somewhere else that they need rid of anyway.

If access is anything other than very straight forward then your in for a wretched/ expensive time. If your on a slope of any kind Re profiling your garden may be an option.

 

[smallzoo]

Unfortunately access is a slight problem. The pond is at the rear of the property and access would be down the side of the house which is for example too narrow for a mini digger.. so I guess it would have to be barrowed !!

 

[lasors]

If there is absolutely no way to get a tipper into the garden to dump directly into the void then hire a couple of labourers and get them to barrow the whole lot. Consider first if you can maybe take down walls or fencing or access over someone elses land and pay to repair any damage. Get a mini digger to load barrows faster. 1 digger operator, 3 labourers and barrows.

Buy subsoil in 16 tonnes loads (maybe 2 loads) and the rest topsoil, again as bulk lorry loads. It will take ages if you have to barrow it so it won't be cheap. How long a run would it be with the barrow? Is it an easy, flat run?

 

[smallzoo]

Thanks for the advice so far

Its about 15 metres from front drive to the pond

I have heard of a motorised wheel barrow.. anyone heard of this ?

 

[lasors]

Yeah, they can be useful. Will carry 3 or 4 barrow loads but they don't travel as fast so I don't imagine they'd move much more material in the same time as a labourer.

Barrows shuttling to and fro being loaded quickly by a mini digger would probably be the best way to go.

 

[JamesA]

The problem is the kids' safety. They do those grids that go on top of ponds.

If it was me I'd pierce the liner and use the hole for composting.
I think it's called "German Mound" composting.

If you've access to a decent size vehicle or van you might want to google "Material Exchange" or "Materials Exchange" where there might be people getting rid of larger quantities of top soil.

 

[r896neo]

Mini diggers can fit through minute gaps, my local lot have one that is 680mm wide when you take the roll bar off but that's only of use if you have a big garden and need to or want to do some major re-modeling

Decking over it is a good idea but your concern about rats wasps etc is very valid as a result seeing as it already has concrete sides you could easily use a block and beam type floor over the top which would seal it much more completely than timber.

Barrows shuttling to and fro being loaded quickly by a mini digger would probably be the best way to go.

Are you totally insane? Do you know what sort of quantity is required to fill 64 cubic metres? It probably around 100 tons.

Your other problem will be breaking up the base as for that size pond it is surely reinforced and at least 150mm thick if not more.

If you can't get machinery in there i think the block and beam might be your best bet. At least then when you sell up the next people can change it back to a pond. [/quote]

 

[cantaloup63]

Instead of filling it it, could you not cover it with a carbonate roof, put some stairs going down and turn it into a garden room? It sounds like it could be a nice playroom for the kids if you could get some electricity over there, or a party loung (especially if you got a bbq down there.

 

[lasors]

Are you totally insane? Do you know what sort of quantity is required to fill 64 cubic metres? It probably around 100 tons.

Yup, about 90 for loose, moist soil. And why am I insane? He would prefer it filled, I was offering an option. It was never going to be cheap or easy, it's a lot of dirt, about 2000 barrow loads. If there's no access what good is a narrow digger if the fill is in a pile at the front of the house?

However, I do agree that covering it is a much easier option and a beam and block floor will seal it completely and it won't be going anywhere.

I do like the sound of the garden room, though

 

[Geometer]

Is there any potential for using it to store rainwater?

 

[r896neo]

I don't want to be a total knob but you don't sound like you have attempted anything like this and wildly underestimate the work involved. As such i think it's not a great idea to be recommending it in such a casual manner.

Despite saying in such a throw away manner

Yup, about 90 for loose, moist soil.

I don't believe that you had even calculated or consider the tonnage required.

That's why i made the insane comment. You can send me a large slice of humble pie if i am wrong and sorry to be confrontational.

I was only recommending a mini-digger if they had re-profiling work they could do in order to generate some on site spoil

 

[galliano2001]

Not seen it suggested yet, if you want to fill it, have you looked into a conveyor belt system? Would fit down a narrow side passage and would seriously speed the process up.

Caveat - just a suggestion, never done it myself.