All posts by David Pottinger

Volunteer Event This Sunday, 11 December

Conservation, Volunteering

There will be a volunteer event at Fleet Pond this coming Sunday and all are welcome to attend (see below for registering).

Colin Gray, Chairman of Fleet Pond Society, writes:

“Our task for the coming Sunday is an attack on birch and a coppicing of gorse up on the Dry Heath adjacent to the reserve car park.

Assemble as usual at the Countryside Workshop at 9.00 for a 9.15 a. m. start. The soil will not be as muddy but could be wet underfoot so waterproof boots recommended.

This is our last task before Christmas and our tradition has been that anyone who feels in a festive mood can bring along some festive nibbles to share around. This is not an obligation so you will not be turned away, or denied any nibbles, if you cannot make a contribution!”

For further information and booking for this event (which is essential as tools and resources have to be planned beforehand), please contact Hart Countryside Services:

Phone: 01252 623443
 Email: countryside@hart.gov.uk

The Sunday volunteer tasks are supervised by a Hart Countryside Ranger, Nick Macfarlane, together with members of Fleet Pond Society.

A full listing of the Sunday volunteer events for the 2016/17 season can be found here. Why not give it a go?

Some Fascinating Fleet Pond Facts

History

a1940-drained-pond-1940-1

Michelle Salter, Secretary of Fleet Pond Society, writes:

How old is the pond? The first clear reference to the pond was in the 14th century, when “the great fishery (of) Fleet Ponds” is referred to in the Rolls of Account of Crondall Manor. By this time, there seems to have been a thriving fishery of considerable importance and two ponds.

Do any museums house records of the pond? Many Victorian naturalists visited Fleet Pond and references to its flora frequently appeared in natural history journals from this era, with herbarium sheets located at the Natural History Museum in Kensington and also at Reading and Oxford.

When was the pond used as an ice rink? In the 1840’s, the South Western Railway ran special excursions to Fleet Pond, including a “Skating Specials” in the Winter.

When was the pond, not a pond? In 1940, the MOD completely drained the pond to stop hostile bombers from using it as a landmark to find the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough (see photo above).

What title did the pond receive in 1951? The pond was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1951 and was one of the first sites in Hampshire to receive this distinction, due to the importance of the lake to waterfowl and the rich aquatic and heathland flora.

Ed. This article is a repost, it was originally published in October 2008.