The Village Pond

The village pond is an icon of British villages and hamlets and I was delighted to find this one well maintained in Hampshire just a few miles from home.
Being close to the coast, many towns and villages in Hampshire are blessed with rivers and tributaries which all eventually make their way into the sea.
But what is it that makes the quintessential British village? Undoubtedly the village pond.  They have been part of our traditional fabric for hundreds of years, although sadly many have disappeared, grown over, and destroyed by neglect and the passage of time.
But fortunately a nationwide move to revive this lovely English heritage has gained momentum and I am relieved to see a revival in fortunes for these little stretches of water.
This one, close by the village church at Braishfield, a few miles north of the market town of Romsey is maintained by the local parish council. To ensure its survival a special lining was installed a few years back, and there is an additional water supply which local councillors say can be used to top up the level if necessary in very dry summers.
To preserve the classic model of a village pond there is even a duck house, and today at least one duck on the water.

Maybe few people have noticed that the country’s humble pools have been literally dying before our eyes, but here is a community which is rightly proud of its pond and has gone out of its way to  ensure it lives on as part of village life.