Monument record MKE126637 - Post-medieval pond, Eggringe Wood, Winchcombe Down

Dew pond (or sole pond), visible on 1st and 2nd edition OS map. Recorded during 2024 Kent Downs National Landscape Historic Ponds project.
Preservation:Whole pond clearly visible on current OS/LIDAR
Pond shape:Irregular
Site type: Dew pond (or sole pond)
Description: Small irregular shaped pond write on the boundary with Eggringe Wood, mapped from 2nd OS edition - 1st edition is not clear. Also on modern OS and 1m LiDAR.
Recorded date: 12/08/2024 (1)

Investigations were carried out at the site in 2025 comprising a desk-based assessment, field visit, and a hand auger survey. The feature appeared to have been established at some time between 1839-1870 AD based on OS mapping. It was seen to measure around 18m in length by 9m in width on historic maps of the site.
The auger survey reached a depth of 0.40m below ground level and identified a sequence of clays overlain by topsoil. The deepest layer was interpreted to potentially reflect the weathered surface of the clay-with-flints geology, and pre-Holocene sedimentation. A dark grey colouring of one of the upper deposits indicated that deposition conditions may have been anaerobic in nature with some evidence for organic preservation including plant macroremains (e.g., beech seeds). Environmental analysis of the auger sample was carried out which revealed the "presence of semi-aquatic taxa [including] water-crowfoots, water-starworts and sweet-grasses, suggesting a semi-permanent water body was present. There is evidence for the surrounding landscape being mixed woodland, including hornbeam, beech and birch, which are still present in the landscape surrounding the pond today" (from the original report, 2).

<1> Kent Downs AONB Unit, 2025, Historic Ponds Project dataset (Digital archive). SKE58454.

<2> Wessex Archaeology, 2025, (Draft) North Downs Heritage Ponds Project Phase 1 Report (Unpublished document). SKE58669.