We went to Monkton nature reserve again on Sunday this time I remembered to take the camera click here for the picturesThere is much concern there about Thanet Earth, both because it is turning out much bigger and more intrusive than people expected and because the water extraction that it will carry out is expected to dry out the nature reserve.
This morning I woke up thinking about the it and it occurred to me that no where does it say where the nitrate rich water it has used drains to, could it be into the aquifer?
Truth is I just don’t know, maybe all the water is lost in evaporation, I will endeavour to find out about that and the drainage relating to the loading bays and power station.
Sounds like an ideal site for the new site for traveling folk. or should they use the china gate site, seems our government want them more than anyone else.
ReplyDeletePerhaps thanet should be used as a 'centre' for the traveling community?
Perhaps a daft question, but are the cliffs there a natural feature, or is this some sort of dis-used quarry? I must confess to never having been in there, though I've cycled past it dozens of times.
ReplyDeleteIt’s an abandoned chalk quarry Peter.
ReplyDeleteThanks Michael, presumably that caravan park opposite The Prospect Inn site (near Acol) is also a dis-used chalk quarry.
ReplyDeleteNot sure Peter chalk quarries go back a long time in this area, the oldest being caves, the chalk was turned to lime in kilns and used for fertiliser and building. The earliest written record of the chalk caves in this area, that I can find, is in Leland’s Itinerary, he visited East Kent in the early 1500s. ‘There is a Cave wher Men have sowt and digged for Treasure. I saw yt by Candel withyn and there were Conys. Yt was so straite that I had no mynd to crepe far yn.’
ReplyDeleteA fantastic place to visit, it is an interesting comment about the possibility of Thanet Earth taking the water and maybe adding nitrates. After four years, no one has further commented, so I will find out if there is anything to this.
ReplyDeleteThanet Earth failed to gain either a water abstraction licence or a drainage licence, my understanding is that they buy their water from Southern Water and all of their liquid waste goes into the public sewer, so there is no effect on the nature reserve.
DeleteSorry for the delay in replying, Michael. Thank you for the update.
ReplyDelete