Things To Come ?

With the recent discussion about opening up the River Roach, here is an extract from W. Robertson's book, 'Rochdale And The History Of It's Progress' :

There was a lake on the site of the Lord of the Manor's kitchen garden (war memorial area).
Here water hens and other aquatic birds swam about with their families of helpless little ones.
Trout frisked about its limpid water and leaped into the air after some gaudy fly....................