Barnwood Arboretum Excursion - Balancing pond

 Part of the park section of the site includes the extensive Balancing pond.

A predominantly dry pond is a flood storage area which is also used for informal play. Including a single set of Rugby World Cup 2015 posts that were installed to celebrate Gloucester being a host City for the Rugby World Cup in 2015.

However, the east end of the pond is very often wet and the grass is left to grow longer in this location in order to improve wildlife habitat.

The balancing pond is designed to help manage the water load from the adjoining brook in heavy rain to mitigate urban flooding. In times of heavy rain, the brook overflow enters the pond and it fills to alleviate strain on the bank's capacity. 

Below are some photos of the blue area.