Lakes and Ponds

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.

Lakes & Ponds

EPDM Lined Ponds

Traditionally shaped oval, kidney, or tear drop ponds blend easily into their surroundings and can be tailored to suit the desires of our clients.

Wildlife Ponds

We construct our ponds and lakes in such a way that the butyl liner is 'shelfed' into the banks. With this method of construction no liner is ever seen above the waterline.

Butyl Lined Lakes

Lake construction is very similar to that of ponds, although their increased size often requires that they are moulded to fit their surroundings, rather than the other way around.

Formal Ponds

In more formal surroundings vertical sided brick capped ponds fit in much better than the more traditional earth sided version. We can also install butyl liners to repair old brick ponds that used to leak, such as the one in this photo.

Repairing Leaking Waterways

Leaking waterways can be quickly repaired with the use of sheet piles while the leak is still in progress. Both the size and length of piles can be altered depending on their requirements. Sheet piling also allows for a great deal of flexibility in the shape and strength of the final construction.

Sluice Gate Construction

Sluice gates provide a control method for the in and outflow of water from lakes and ponds such that water levels can be easily dictated regardless of rainfall. Green oak boards quickly swell to form watertight seals and can be cut to any width, such that the finished level of ponds and lakes can be set exactly as desired.

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