Fleet Pond Nature Reserve

Despite being called a pond, Fleet Pond is actually the largest freshwater lake in Hampshire. We were lucky enough to live right next door to it for 4 years and got involved with Fleet Pond Society, an amazing group of people dedicated to the maintenance and restoration of this rare and protected habitat. The nature reserve has SSSI status which means it is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest owing to some of the rare plants and animals which can be found there.

Very easily accessible from the M3 Fleet Pond lies around 40 miles South West of London. The nature reserve is comprised of mixed woodland, wet heathland, dry heathland and of course the pond itself. There is a large car park and the railway station, which played a fundamental role in the development of Fleet town, is situated on the north west corner of the pond.

There are 3 woodland walks of differing distance clearly laid out around the pond catering for all abilities, the longest which will take around 45 minutes to complete at a steady, Sunday afternoon, pace.

The earliest records we have of the area date back the Saxon era, with the name "Fleet" being a derivation from an old Saxon term referring to some form of stream, although the first references to Fleet directly don't come until the early 1300's.

It is thought that the pond was formed by the daming of two streams sometime during the second half of the 12^th century, creating a pond very much larger than the one we see today. Once stocked with fish and wildfowl the pond provided a source of nutrition to villagers and farmers all year round. Originally there were 2 ponds but one was lost in a large storm in 1567.

The ponds were managed by monks until the 15th Century and their rent was 100 fishes which needed to be delivered to the Bishop of Winchester. This was later changed to 23 shillings, which was a lot easier to transport!

Interesting things from more recent history include the pond being used for Float Plane trials by Geoffrey de Havilland in 1912 and during the second world war it was drained to prevent it being used as a landmark for enemy bombers looking for nearby Farnborough.

A rather more detailed history of Fleet Pond can be found here.

In the two different heathland areas there are a variety of different heathers including Ling, Bell Heather, Centaury and Cross-Leaved Heather. Yellow Loosestrife can also be seen around Fugelmere Marsh. On the wet heath you can find Bog Myrtle which, in the summer, gives off a strong aroma and is a very handy natural insect repellent if you rub a couple of the leaves on your skin.

Many native British trees can be found there as well as several non native species. During a short walk around the pond you should be able to spot sweet chestnut, sycamore, western Hemlock and a number of mature English Oak trees.

The habitat needs close and careful management and this is undertaken by the rangers supported by a large group of willing volunteers. The second Sunday of each month usually sees a work party of some form clearing trees and re-opening up areas of heathland. It is important to restrict the spread of trees onto the heathland in order to preserve it. On a global scale heathland is rarer than rain forest and is home to a number of rare and protected species.

In some areas of the nature reserve they use more traditional methods of managing the land, this involves allowing cows and Shetland Ponies to live in specially fenced off areas. Unfortunately the Shetland Ponies had to be removed as too many people were feeding them carrots and other tasty treats meaning they were too full to do their grazing job properly. Pigs were even considered, but they are apparently accomplished escape artists. These animlas naturally graze on the shoots and leaves of sapling trees thus preserving the heathland just as they did several centuries earlier.

With such a variety of habitats Fleet Pond Nature Reserve is, as you'd expect, home to a wide variety of insects, reptiles and other animals. Moor hens, Mute Swans, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorants and Grey Heron are usually fairly easy to spot, but if you're really lucky you may also see a Kingfisher or a Reed Warbler whizz by.

If you're up and about before the dog walkers you might be able spot a Muntjac or Roe deer, particularly in the wooded areas away from the pond itself.

Living next to the pond meant we saw a variety of unusual birds in our garden including Green Woodpeckers and even on one occasion a female sparrowhawk who was using a quiet corner of our garden to eat her prey.

Fleet pond is an oasis of peace and quiet in a busy corner of south east England, but it needs ongoing work to preserve it and protect it. It's currenly under threat of silting up and Fleet Pond Society are trying to raise over £1m in order to carry out the urgent work required.

If this hub has inspired you to visit Fleet Pond or to find out more about it then please check out their blog for the latest announcements about activites and how you can get involved.

If you're interested in finding out more about other parts of rural England then please visit some of my other hubs:

10 Hidden Views of the English Lake District

Britain off the beaten track

Thank you.