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The Pond

The Village pond is situated at the junction of Church Lane with the High street and Back Lane and was formerly known as the Town well. It is continuously fed by a spring rising in a field which is now Bovewell. For many years it provided a fresh water supply to the village, and the last remaining clue to its former use is the archway behind the pond through which one of the springs still flows. The Village pond once supplied a continuous stream of water for the two fish ponds which were situated opposite the church. These ponds were as important then as the Hen House or dove-cote for providing food, and would have contained Carp, Perch, Pike, Tench and Bream amongst others that would have been needed for the table. An extract from Parish records of May 17th 1723 reads: “The pond in the Old Orchard was somewhat enlarged, and 31 brace of carp we took out, and put in again 30 brace of ’em”.