Sir – My wife and I have lived at Cassington for 53 years and have seen the Thames Conservancy, who were first class, with their teams of country lads who knew what to do.

Then came the Thames Water Authority, who altered sluices — their architect did not understand water flow. Both mill ponds have silted up.

Now the Environment Agency, who have insisted that it must all go back to nature.

We now have a back mill pond three-parts full of debris with trees a foot in diameter growing out of it, a front mill pond partly silted up, both, in my opinion, caused by a lack of knowledge.

One other point: fish seem more important, although looking at our mill ponds, they seem to have forgotten fish in these, plus the flooding problem.

If the rivers fill up with silt, the water has to go somewhere. Why should landowners put right what successive government departments have let get bad — our back mill pond will cost thousands to dredge.

Roy Partridge, Cassington