W.J. Hatt has been undertaking pond and lake construction & renovation since 1937. Over the years we have accumulated three generations’ worth of experience, creating long lasting water features and wildlife habitats. We offer a complete design & build service for our lakes & ponds, carefully building them to suit their surroundings and look very natural.
If desired we can also build ponds designed for swimming in or with attractive water features to enhance the aesthetics, such as cascades and jetties.
We carry out much work on large estates for conservation and wildlife needs. We also construct and renovate a huge variety of projects for local authorities and private clients alike. This work includes building ponds & lakes into clay or the water table, as well as using impermeable EPDM liners or puddled clay. We are also proficient at installing or repairing liners into formal, concrete ponds.
In addition to pond & lake construction, W.J. Hatt is also an expert in repairing existing waterways that are leaking or where the banks are eroding. When any waterway stops holding, the problem becomes exponentially worse as the leaking water enlarges & washes away the hole further, and a vicious circle begins. To stop this quickly, we install piles (or trench sheets) of the correct length and size to support the bank and stem any leaks. These piles can be hidden under the soil so that the repair appears completely natural. Piling also provides a straight-forward method of introducing almost any size of traditional oak board sluice gates back into a water system.
Further information on lake construction
Jack Hatt, who founded the company, was a passionate angler; this is where his love of waterways originated. That passion has carried on down the generation of Hatts, leaving Oxfordshire and Berkshire with a huge range of ponds, lakes, streams, rivulets, cascades and waterfalls. These range from more modern angular constructions to rustic nature reserves. The company operates a unique way of constructing ponds and lakes using EPDM liners: while the liner itself is not visible, it also provides a planting shelf that goes right down into the water