Most of the stonework in the latest project to receive the Dry Stone Walling Association\'s highest accolade, the Pinnacle Award, will seldom been seen - except by ducks.

Which is appropiate enough as the Award-winning project is a large, ornamental Victorian duck lake in Alexandra Park, Oldham.

The reason only the ducks will see the walling is that now the project is finished and the lake has been filled with water, many of the features are submerged.

Nevertheless, before the water went in the project was considered good enough to warrant the Pinnacle Award, which goes to Old Metropolitan Council\'s Operational Services department. The dry stone walling team of Nigel Goody from Thurstonland (near Huddersfield) and David Griffiths from Rawdon, who worked in some atrociously muddy conditions to carry out the work, also received Awards and certificates.

Paul Webley, chairman of the Dry Stone Walling Association, commented: The skilled rebuilding of the retaining walls and reinstatement of this classic duck lake has been a significant step towards the preservation of a beautiful recreational area for the people of Oldham.

He said the Award Panel had unanimously agreed that this outstanding project thoroughly deserved a Pinnacle Award.