Ponds

PUBLIC PONDS 1823 (date of the enclosures) and description in 2009.

As piped water did not come to the district until 1934 public ponds were vital.    Man-made, these ponds were known as ‘Dew’, ‘Keech’ or ‘Catch’ Ponds, dependent upon dew and rainfall.   They had been puddled with clay to seal the bottom.    This is an art that has virtually died out.   There were also a number of these small private ponds on farms  

Water was supplemented by rainwater collected off the roofs in underground tanks, sometimes in water-butts.   Most properties had or shared a water tank.

No.1. POND called WIGMORE POND on the Hillock in an allotment sold to the said Lord George Henry Cavendish containing twenty perches with a road thereto of the breadth of twenty feet from the Windmill Road. click Wigmore Pond for the history of this pond

N.B. This pond is at Widmer Farm on the Pink Road (The farm was not built until after 1823) was the first pond where livestock could be watered when they were driven up from Princes Risborough to graze on the Princes Risborough Common at Lacey Green.   There was a driftway from Princes Risborough that led to it.

No.2. POND called TIMOR POND on the Hillock in an allotment sold to the said John Grubb containing twelve perches with a footway thereto of the breadth of six feet from the public footway.

N.B. This pond was behind the Windmill Farm at the old cross roads which had been discontinued in 1810. The footpath mentioned starts by the Whip pub by the bus stop and continues diagonally across towards Hampden.

No.3. POND called WHITE WASHINGS

at Lacey Green in an allotment to the said John Grubb containing eighteen perches with a road thereto of the breadth of twenty feet from the Lacey Green Road.   It was for animal use.

N.B.  This pond was down a track that later became Kiln Lane.    It was incorporated into a garden in the 1970s after houses had been built round it in Hets Orchard.

No.4. POND called DEEP PIT

in the same allotment as the above near the Brick Kiln containing twenty four perches, on the north side going down Kiln Lane. click Deep Pit Pond for more.

No.5. POND near Stockings Farm homestead at Lacey Green in an allotment to the said Lord George Henry Cavendish containing eight perches with a road thereto of the breadth of twenty feet from the Lacey Green Road.

N.B.  This pond no longer holds water.   During the second world war a group of people came from London to do `war` work on the farm.  They were put to clean out the pond.   Unfortunately they broke the clay cap that seals old ponds so that it no longer holds water.  

No.6. POND at Lacey Green near or adjoining to the Lacey Green Road and the allotments to Thomas Stone and Ann Dell containing four perches.

N.B. this small pond has been filled in and a house built there.

No.7. POND at Lacey Green in an allotment to Joseph Lacey containing thirteen perches with a private road thereto from the house and premises of Francis Stone of the breadth of twenty feet and a public footway thereto.

N.B. This pond is now in the garden of Gracefield.   It was privately purchased by Hans and Peggy Jourdan when they lived there mid nineteen hundreds also the road to it.

No.8. POND called BAGGIES

at Lacey Green, behind Well Cottages in Church Lane. This pond was fenced from animals and limed to keep it pure for domestic use.

No.9. POND at Turnip End adjoining the private carriage road of the breadth of twenty feet from the Speen Road at Darvills Hill to Turnip End containing six perches.

N.B. This pond is still in the hamlet of Turnip End. The private carriage road is now public but not adopted by the council.

AND WE THE SAID COMMISSIONERS DO HEREBY ORDER DIRECT AND AWARD THAT ALL AND EVERY THE SAID PRIVATE CARRIAGE ROADS HEREIN SET OUT AND APPOINTED SHALL BE MADE AND AT ALL TIMES HEREAFTER BE SUPPORTED.

DEW PONDS