The Upper Ponds, that were dug out in the landscape area of the Catherine Park in the early 1770s, were connected to the Great Pond, but the water flowing freely down the slope of the hill in the direction of the lake began to cut a deep gully and in order to prevent the new ponds from drying out it was decided to create a system of weirs on the stream.
This work was carried out by the engineer Gerard. A number of his designs for weir-cascades to maintain a constant level of water in the Upper Ponds have survived. Only two of these projects were actually realized. One of them is the Red or Turkish Cascade that takes the form of a small dam flanked by two tapering “Gothic-style” towers. The red-brick walls of the little towers were embellished by lancet-topped niches with white rusticated architraves that stand out clearly against the surrounding brick. Narrow “arrow-loops” within the niches and crenellated parapets give the cascade the appearance of some kind of fortified structure.