"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.com...
On Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:27:13 -0000, wafflycat wrote:

have had water voles but now mink,

That's sad, shoot/trao the fing mink.

But on the whole, having a stream at the end of the garden is lovely.

I agree but I'd never buy a place that wasn't significantly above the
normal water level. The other thing is if you have a high flow/low fall
or high fall/low flow (better) you could put in a small hydro plant and
get free electricity and perhaps a water source heat pump as well,
powered from the hydro plant...


Well, the place is A Several of Feet above the normal water level - even the
normal winter water level. It is, however, a stream at the bottom of the
garden, so it would be silly to think that it's *never* going to go above
the Several of Feet as exceptional weather does happen. Also - things can
change to the surrounding area once you've moved in that affect just how
effective that several feet remains being. Still, I'm very happy where I am.
We have traps for the mink, by the way. Vermin destroying our water voles
they are, yet individually they are stunningly lovely creatures, full of
character and not frightened by humans being nearby. I've stood on the bank
of the stream and they've been playing in the water less than a metre away -
wathcing me, watching them. It's not their fault their ancestors were
brought over here for fur farming. Shame, really :-/