Do you know what a ‘cullet’ is? No, neither did we, but we’ve added the word to our vocabulary after learning about a Pilkingtons Glass landfill that’s been converted into a nature reserve.
The Glass Park is a small area inbetween the towns of Barnby Dun and Kirk Sandall. Fortunately for us it’s nestled on the edge of the Don River Navigation, the canal that connects Stainforth on the Stainforth and Keadby Canal, and the town of Doncaster. It’s just a few hours by boat from Thorne and happens to be right next to one of our favourite mooring spots behind a bed of reeds next to a fenced off, disused field.
There are a number of ways of getting to the park, including from the canal itself to walkways through fields or woods from Barnby Dun and Kirk Sandall. If you come from Kirk Sandall, you may pass St Oswald’s, a fine example of an Anglo Saxon church.
Legend has it that St Oswald was laid to rest here after being killed in 642. Whether this is true or not remains debatable, but there was certainly mention of a church and a settlement in the Doomsday Book of 1086. To the east of the church is one of the many entrances to the Glass Park.
The land that the park now sits on was once owned by Pilkington’s Glass. The village of Kirk Sandall was created by Pilkington’s to house its workers, the location of which was selected for its close proximity to the canal. It was here that Pilkington’s started using the land to dump old glass, which it did for 40 years from 1922. Eventually Pilkington’s bequeathed the land to the local community, when the creation of a recreational facility started.
A protective layer was installed over the top of the cullet to prevent the glass from rising to the surface. British grass and other wild flowers were then sown, and a number of fruit trees planted along the walkways.
At the centre of the park is the Tranquil Pond, which attracts frogs, toads, newts and even snakes. In the summer it is quite overgrown, but it lives up to its name, protecting the area from surrounding noise pollution. Take a seat on one of the many park benches and watch mayfly, dragonfly, bees, moths and butterflies flit between the flora.
Much of this week’s episode is taken up with our journey to Kirk Sandall and the park itself, including some fun timelapses taken from the front of the boat, but we also discuss toilets and holding tanks (of course), and our proposed water purification system. Would you drink water taken from the canal? Check out the video, below, and let us know what you think!
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