Restored sand and gravel quarry turned into latest CEMEX Angling site

July 23, 2009

CEMEX Angling, part of the building materials provider CEMEX UK, has opened a new site at Alresford, near Colchester in Essex. The complex of four lakes covering over 100 acres was created from an exhausted sand and gravel quarry to offer a superb multi-species angling location, ideal for both the novice and the match angler.

CEMEX has worked with the local county council, to develop an ongoing 10 year conservation plan for the site which includes the planting of native species of trees and plants, some of which for example, carex (sedge) and caltha palustris (marsh marigold) have been reintroduced into the area. The end result of the two years work to date and over £300,000 investment is a beautifully landscaped and peaceful site.

The four lakes have names of significance. Jerry’s and Jack’s Lakes have been named after two of CEMEX’s angling ticket bailiffs, Ellis Lake was after a long-service colleague and Halls Lake, after the company, Halls Aggregates, who originally owned and quarried the site.

The lakes have been stocked to cater for all levels of fishing offering CEMEX’s own Sutton strain carp, bream, tench, perch, chub, roach, rudd and crucian carp. Crucian carp is a breed of small carp, which in its pure form, is rare in the UK.

Jerry’s Lake, the largest of the four lakes at over 11 acres, comprises of shallow bars, gravel humps, silt filled gullies and secluded island areas making it ideal for the population of over 300 carp. Thirty custom-made pegs have been dug into the bank to provide comfortable yet practical angling.

Jack’s Lake has mature reedlined banks and is relatively small and intimate being approximately 5.5 acres. This lake has been stocked with six year old fish averaging around 20lbs making them relatively young in age, but of reasonable size for a good day’s fishing.

The three acre Hall’s Lake has been designed for the pleasure/match angler with 30 purpose-made fishing platforms and stocking ratios to ensure good catch returns. And finally the smallest lake is Ellis Pit, a one acre site, has been developed and stocked with just two species, tench and crucian carp.

For both novice and seasoned angler the new site offers a range of fishing opportunities including night fishing, a unique facility in the east of England.

CEMEX Angling is committed to managing its waters in a sustainable and responsible way. As well as careful stocking and husbandry of the fish, work has gone into incorporating recycled waste products into the roads and any hard areas around the lakes.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

Tickets are available from the office, Snags tackle shop in Colchester and Big Fish Tackle in Chelmsford
For further information contact Mick Barnes, Head of Angling on t. 01932 583603, m. 07798 742207 e. michael.barnes@cemex.com
Information on CEMEX Angling is available online at www.cemexangling.com
CEMEX is a global building materials solutions company and leading supplier of cement, ready-mixed concrete and aggregates. In the UK, CEMEX also produces asphalt, and has a significant share of the roof tile, rail sleepers, concrete-block paving, and concrete-block segments. CEMEX has a national supply network in the UK to ensure that quality building materials are available to customers locally. For more information, see www.CEMEX.co.uk or www.CEMEX.com