The viewing platform from the side, showing it’s elevation
David Pottinger writes:
The work on creating the exciting new viewpoint at the eastern side of Fleet Pond has now almost been completed, as can be seen from the pictures above and below. If you are taking a walk around the Pond, you can read all about this fascinating project on the poster nearby.
The poster that explains the interesting background to the viewpoint
This impressive project was thought up and implemented by Fleet Pond Society (FPS) and provides an excellent and major example of the work that we carry out for the benefit of the community (to join FPS, please see here).
On this topic, Colin Gray, Chairman of FPS, says:
“Very many thanks to all the volunteers who turned out on any or all of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week to erect the Lions View. A superb effort and an excellent result. Thank you all.”
The viewing platform under construction (see here)
From a previous post, Colin explains:
“The new viewpoint will be built on the old embankment laid down by the army in the 19th century as a base for a very large jetty which stretched out into the pond to launch boat-based training exercises.
Early in the 20th century the jetty was demolished and another military use was made of the embankment …
The cost of the construction of the viewing platform, the decking and the access ramp and path are to be very generously met by a grant from Fleet Lions.
To recognise this it is proposed to place two marker posts boasting lions heads at the entrance to Lions Walk, a path and a long ramp, fully accessible by people with mobility aids, leading to the new viewpoint “De Havilland Viewpoint” in recognition of its historic link to the successful development of de Havilland aircraft that served us so well in WWII.”
This is the view from the path around the Pond
The previous jetty, from 1904 (see here)