Scrub clearance and the dredging of the Pear Pond 1995, view north into the East Combe (Hestercombe Landscape Garden).

The Box Pond, the next of the spring fed ponds to line the East Combe, was de-silted at the same time as the Pear Pond by specialist pond reclamation company, Pearce Waterscapes. A pond with a true depth of 10-12 feet was eventually revealed after several weeks of digging. In total, the two 22 ton diggers used required five weeks to remove 17,000 tons of silt that had built up in the Box Pond, Pear Pond, and two small silt traps at the head of the valley.