The following article was contributed by Martin Hubbard, paints a picture of how the lake was – probably from pre-war to the early seventies.
An outpouring of my memories of Wollaton Park and lake from 1968 to 1970.
I first visited Wollaton Park, that I remember in 1968. Was taken fishing by a friend and his father.
We arrived at the lake from the Parkside pedestrian access carrying our tackle and onto the cinder path at the lakes north point, turning right, we carried on with the fenced off woodland to our right and a wide area of sparse
Rhododendrons and scrub and grassland to our left. The lake was visible through the vegetation. We later came to realise that the northern end of the lake was very shallow and deep in silt and weeds and water lilies. Very natural but almost impossible to fish.
We carried on along the cinder path until we arrived at a timber gate which gave fishermen access to the ‘enclosure’. Immediately in front of you was the small timber boathouse. This was at the point where the path joined the lake bank. The boathouse sat in a huge patch of water lilies, with a cleared channel for the rowing boat. The rowing boat was available to fishermen to hire, it was a good size for two and fishing tackle. In side the boat house was a planked access stage along one side to access the boat. We later realised that under the boathouse, small perch were swimming around the wooden piles. We spent much time lying on our bellies just watching this underwater life, sometimes with a piece of nylon and hook, baited with a maggot, they weren’t easily fooled!
Passing the boathouse, and within the ‘enclosure’ was a cinder strip, about six to seven feet wide. This was where the fishermen sat, close to the lake edge, with space to pass behind. The ‘enclosure’ was enclosed with a chesnut paling fence about four feet six high. On the outside was the remainder of the cinder path contained by the ‘enclosure’ fence to one side and the woodland fence to the other, where the public could walk around the lake.
Near to the boathouse was a small spill way allowing water to pass under the paths and into a natural channel and running into a small stream which vanished in to the dense woodland. This was to maintain the lakes maximum level, typically two feet below the path level.
The enclosure ran to the start of the lakeside bend and was closed of at the end by the fencing.
Once in the enclosure you realised that the lakeside bank was vertical and held in place by timber piling. At regular intervals were five or six individual hazel trees set right at the back of the wooden piling.
In front of this fishing ‘enclosure’ was open water with no lilies, although in summer there was some surface weed, but nothing to choke up the open water. I seem to recall this area was kept free of weed by intermitently being ‘raked’ from the boat, and by the wardens. This was to keep the fishing unhindered, and presumably, maintain the income from fishing revenue. From memory the water was about four to five feet deep at the end of the lake.
Beyond the enclosure the path ramped up so that you were about six feet above water level and the lake bank was unretained with a steep slope of earth and rocks to the lake. Fishing was permitted here as well. In fact fishing was allowed at all points of the lakeside. Carry on along this raised path and you reached the top of the brick built arched ‘boathouse’. We never really knew this building purpose as the water level was just below the ‘boathouse’ floor. We always assumed it had been a boat house, perhaps for storing boat(s) out of the water, maybe in winter and an area for boat repairs., carrying on over this buildings roof the cider path continued through a wooded area. The lake, to the left was edged by a gently sloping ‘beach’. The sand and gravel beach typically between four to ten feet wide and sloped gradually into the lake.
This formed the south-east edge of the lake and the beach ran out into a huge reedbed area, then onto the grassesd, maintained park.
Fishing day tickets were sold at the lake by park wardens, dressed in a dark green uniform and peaked cap, who came along every couple of hours. Access times to the park were as they are today. In the summer though it was normal to arrive at the lake at four in the morning, having climbed over the Parkside gate, and find a dozen or so fishermen already there. Some having fished all night. Not allowed, but the first warden round never questioned why fisherman were there before the warden having unlocked park gates and cycled straight to the lake had only just arrived.
The lake was well managed and maintained, with litter bins all around the perimeter path and always were emptied. There was no litter and no misbehaving, as the fishermen also policed the lake area.
When we couldn’t afford 2’/6’’ for a day ticket in the holidays, we used to go into the Hall, free addmission, and spend hours in the natural history museum. Particuarly of interest were the ‘stuffed’ fish in cases, the huge gorilla and the bird egg collection.
For a young boy who was allowed to cycle to the lake with tackle and set up and learn to fish by watching the men, the place was magical. Early summer mornings, flat calm water and mist, bird song and water birds chasing each other. It felt a very natural environment, with no sign of steel or concrete anywhere. Other youngsters fished and friends were made.
NOTE: Fishing in the lake is no longer permitted.