Filling in a garden pond

[Conquistador]

We've recently moved into a house which has a 10x6ft sunk pond in the ground which we want rid of. I've pumped pretty much all of the water out and tried stabbing the bottom of the shell to drain the rest of the water into the ground but it's solid - could be concrete lined but the lining is pretty solid anyway.

Sledgehammer? Drill through the bottom?

The plan is to then lift the moulded shell out and saw it up and take it to the dump - it's pretty manky so I can't imagine anybody would want it. Then use all the rubble and extra hardcore to fill in the hole, add a bit of topsoil and create an area of turf.

Any tips guys?

 

[brucemillar]

The trick here is love your pond. Tell it you want to lavish money on it and surround it with beautiful shrubs and have wood nymphs dancing around it at night. Make it understand it is the center piece for your garden, that will be the envy of all. People will travel for miles to wonder at its magnificence. Then spend some money as a teaser for the pond.

Immediately and without any effort the pond will start to leak, all the fish will die the stagnant water left in the bottom will cause your neighbours to retch. People will refer to the smelly house. - Job done.

It is a well established principle that caring for objects will cause them to fall apart faster than you can care or finance their upkeep. Mercedes have exploited this principle for years.

 

[Mike Walker]

"Then use all the rubble and extra hardcore to fill in the hole, add a bit of topsoil and create an area of turf."

If you do not want to lose all the topsoil due to fines migrating downwards with rain water put a layer of suitable geotextile material between one and t'other!

 

[TDE1]

The trick here is love your pond. Tell it you want to lavish money on it and surround it with beautiful shrubs and have wood nymphs dancing around it at night. Make it understand it is the center piece for your garden, that will be the envy of all. People will travel for miles to wonder at its magnificence. Then spend some money as a teaser for the pond.

Immediately and without any effort the pond will start to leak, all the fish will die the stagnant water left in the bottom will cause your neighbours to retch. People will refer to the smelly house. - Job done.

It is a well established principle that caring for objects will cause them to fall apart faster than you can care or finance their upkeep. Mercedes have exploited this principle for years.

Got to be The Post of the Month!

 

[DSM10000]

I think we have almost enough "Great Bruce posts" to start a Christmas edition

 

[Simba69]

"Then use all the rubble and extra hardcore to fill in the hole, add a bit of topsoil and create an area of turf."

If you do not want to lose all the topsoil due to fines migrating downwards with rain water put a layer of suitable geotextile material between one and t'other!

Agree it's not the easiest thing to do but I'm sure the nymphs will move on

 

[Spin_bowler]

I was presented with exactly the same problem in our house but had a flexible liner in my unwanted pond so cut it up and took it to the dump. I filled the resultant hole with hardcore (courtesy of a particularly ugly double brick barbecue built nearby) topped with gravel, topsoil and turfed. It's been fine, no sinking or anything.

It took about four years for frogs, toads and other assorted wildlife to realise it had gone, mind.

 

[tode]

A sledge hammer should be adequate.

Mind your toes, though.