The 5 acre (2 ha.) Steam Mills Lake is in the village of Steam Mills that adjoins the town of Cinderford in the Forest of Dean. Both village and lake get their names from a steam mill that was established there in the nineteenth century. The lake is man-made, the result of clay extraction for brick making (which continues today on a site among trees next to the lake.) The water now serves as a fishing lake containing brown trout, barbel, bleak, bream, carp (common & mirror), chub, gudgeon, perch, roach, rudd & golden rudd and tench. Fishing is managed by the Royal Forest of Dean Angling Club. On our recent walk in the area we saw only tufted duck, mallard, coot, moorhen and gulls on the lake but there were siskins in the surrounding woods. My wife posed as the focus of interest in this shot.
photo © T. Boughen Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2
