Sowley Pond

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Sowley Pond
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Sowley Pond, Nr Lymington, Hants - geograph.org.uk - 74355.jpg
Location Hampshire
Grid reference SZ 375 968 [1]
InterestBiological
Area49.3 hectares (122 acres) [1]
Notification 1984 [1]
Location map Magic Map

Sowley Pond is a man-made water-body at the core of a 49.3-hectare (122-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest of the same name, east of Lymington in Hampshire. [1] [2] The pond itself constitutes only about a third of the area of the SSSI. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site [3] and Special Protection Area. [4] It is an important refuge for both surface feeding and diving ducks and functions as an integral part of the marshland system of the west Solent.

Contents

Location

Sowley Pond is situated on the southern edge of the New Forest, approximately 1 km from the Solent and is midway between Lymington and Bucklers Hard. The road crossing the dam that was constructed to form the pond is part of the Solent Way long-distance footpath. [5]

History

Sowley Pond was formed in the fourteenth century by monks from nearby Beaulieu Abbey who dammed the Crockford stream, which rises on Beaulieu Heath, to form a fishery. [6]

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the pond was used to supply water for an ironworks situated on the opposite side of the road on what is now Sandpit Lane. [7]

The Ironworks

The Sowley ironworks were completed in the 1590s by the Earl of Southampton. It had a tenuous existence during the 17th century, but with the rapid expansion of Portsmouth dockyard the works were taken over by Henry Corbett, a specialist blacksmith from London, who set up a forge at Beaulieu in conjunction with Sowley. He was financed by Edmund Dummer, a former surveyor of the Navy, and naval contracts for wrought iron followed. Corbett died in 1708 and Dummer continued the business until 1712 when he went bankrupt and his brother Thomas (an ex-navy purser) continued to supply the navy until 1716. [8] By the 1790s, the ironworks were leased by Charles Pocock who lived at the adjacent Sowley House but the ironworks became uneconomic and ceased operating after the Napoleonic Wars. [9] The forge continued to operate until about 1822. [7]

At various times a water powered blast furnace existed as well as (intermittently) a finery forge. In the 1750s an air furnace was built. Today, the site of the furnace is indicated by a patch of reddened earth, around which is a heavy concentration of furnace slag. The site of the forge is near the edge of a hollow (wheelpit) below the dam, [10] where heavy concentrations of forge cinder marks are evident. [11] There is a local saying that "the Sowley hammer can be heard" which means that rain is on the way. [12]

Sowley House

The house, which is situated to the south of the pond, is privately owned and not open to the public. In 2001, it was occupied by Otto and Catharina van der Vorm, from the Netherlands. The gardens have large quantities of rare orchids and wild flower meadows which extend down to the Solent shore. [13]

The former Forge Hammer Inn adjacent to the house and ironworks was used by smugglers in the eighteenth century to hide contraband. The goods were landed at nearby Pitts Deep Hard and hidden in the cellars of the inn. During one raid by the coastguard the landlady was despatched to divert the coastguards while the tubs of illicit brandy were moved from their hiding place in the chimney to the safety of a nearby copse of trees. "The landlady advanced upon them. Singling out one of the officers who owed her a score for...liquid refreshment, she abused him roundly for not paying his debts..." When the contraband was safe, the landlady admitted the coastguard, who found nothing, and were once more abused for interfering with the business of honest citizens. [14]

Flora

Among the tree and plant species found at Sowley are: [15]

Fauna

Sowley is the home to many species of bird, including: [15]

The heronry at Sowley is one of the largest in Hampshire; in 2018 this held 17 occupied nests. [18]

Variable damselfly also breed at Sowley Pond. [19]

In the 1900s, King Edward VII presented a pair of sika deer to John, the second Baron Montagu of Beaulieu. This pair escaped into Sowley Wood and were the basis of the large herds of sika to be found in the forest today. They were so prolific that culling had to be introduced in the 1930s to control numbers. [20]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampshire</span> County of England

Hampshire is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, Dorset to the west, and Wiltshire to the north-west. The city of Southampton is the largest settlement, and the county town is the city of Winchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Forest</span> National park in southern England

The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, featuring in the Domesday Book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Forest District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

New Forest is a local government district in Hampshire, England. Its council is based in Lyndhurst, although the largest town is Totton. The district also includes the towns of Fordingbridge, Lymington, New Milton and Ringwood. The district is named after and covers most of the New Forest National Park, which occupies much of the central part of the district. The main urban areas are around the periphery of the forest. The district has a coastline onto the Solent to the south and Southampton Water to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solent Way</span> Long-distance footpath in Hampshire, England

The Solent Way is a 60-mile (97 km) long-distance footpath in Hampshire, southern England. With the exception of a few inland diversions, the path follows the coast of the Solent, the sea strait that separates the mainland from the Isle of Wight. The Solent Way forms part of the E9 European Coastal Path, which runs for 5000 km (3125 miles) from Cape St Vincent in Portugal to Narva-Jõesuu in Estonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust</span> Wildlife and nature charity in the UK

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is a Wildlife Trust with 27,000 members across the counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Hampshire Coast</span>

The South Hampshire Coast was an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Hampshire, England, UK that was subsumed into the New Forest National Park when it was established on 1 April 2005. It lies between the New Forest and the west shore of the Solent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Hamble Country Park</span> Park in Hampshire, England

River Hamble Country Park is a 144.1-hectare (356-acre) Local Nature Reserve which runs along the west bank of the River Hamble between the villages of Botley and Bursledon in Hampshire. It is owned by Hampshire County Council and managed by Hampshire Countryside Service. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site and Special Protection Area, and of Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation. Part of it is in Upper Hamble Estuary and Woods, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lepe, Hampshire</span> Hamlet in Hampshire, England

Lepe is a linear hamlet on the Solent in south-west Hampshire, England. In the civil parish of Exbury and Lepe, It is beside the Dark Water, and has Lepe Country Park, which runs from Stanswood Bay to the mouth of the Beaulieu River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurst Castle and Lymington River Estuary</span>

Hurst Castle and Lymington River Estuary is a 1,077.3-hectare (2,662-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Lymington in Hampshire. It is a Nature Conservation Review site and two areas are Geological Conservation Review sites. Three areas are local nature reserves, Boldre Foreshore, Sturt Pond and Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes; the latter site is managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Part of it is North Solent National Nature Reserve. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site and Special Protection Area. Parts of it are in Solent Maritime and Solent and Isle of Wight Lagoons Special Areas of Conservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lymington River SSSI</span>

Lymington River SSSI is a 34.8-hectare (86-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest along Lymington River and its tributaries between Lymington, Burley and Stoney Cross in Hampshire. Highland Water is a Geological Conservation Review site and Ober Water is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. Parts of the site are in The New Forest and Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar sites, and in The New Forest Special Protection Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lymington River Reedbeds</span>

Lymington River Reedbeds is a 41.7-hectare (103-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Lymington in Hampshire. It is a nature reserve managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site and Special Protection Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titchfield Haven</span>

Titchfield Haven is a 134.5-hectare (332-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north-west of Gosport in Hampshire. Most of it is a local nature reserve and a national nature reserve. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site and Special Protection Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upper Hamble Estuary and Woods</span>

Upper Hamble Estuary and Woods is a 151.2-hectare (374-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Southampton in Hampshire. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site and Special Protection Area, and of Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation. Part of the site is in Manor Farm Country Park, which is a Local Nature Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boldre Foreshore</span> Nature reserve in Lymington, Hampshire, UK

Boldre Foreshore is a 193.3-hectare (478-acre) Local Nature Reserve east of Lymington in Hampshire. It is owned by New Forest District Council and managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site and Special Protection Area, Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation, Hurst Castle and Lymington River Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest and Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes, a nature reserve managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calshot Marshes</span>

Calshot Marshes is a 51.1-hectare (126-acre) Local Nature Reserve near Calshot, at the junction of The Solent and Southampton Water in Hampshire. It is owned by Hampshire County Council and managed by Hampshire Countryside Service. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site and Special Protection Area, of Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation and of Hythe to Calshot Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes</span> Hampshire nature reserve

Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes is a 738-hectare (1,820-acre) nature reserve which stretches from Keyhaven along the south coast across the Lymington River in Hampshire. It is managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site and Special Protection Area. Some areas are part of two Special Areas of Conservation, Solent and Isle of Wight Lagoons and Solent Maritime and Solent. It is also part of Hurst Castle and Lymington River Estuary, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and of North Solent Marshes Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2. Two areas are Geological Conservation Review sites, and two are Local Nature Reserves, Boldre Foreshore and Lymington-Keyhaven Marshes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Marshes</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sturt Pond</span>

Sturt Pond is a 10.9-hectare (27-acre) Local Nature Reserve in Milford on Sea in Hampshire. It is owned and managed by Milford On Sea Parish Council. It is part of Solent and Southampton Water Ramsar site and Special Protection Area, of Solent Maritime Special Area of Conservation and of Hurst Castle and Lymington River Estuary, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Designated Sites View: Sowley Pond". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  2. ↑ "Map of Sowley Pond". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  3. ↑ "Designated Sites View: Solent and Southampton Water". Ramsar Site. Natural England. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  4. ↑ "Designated Sites View: Solent and Southampton Water". Special Protection Areas. Natural England. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "The Solent Way: Lymington to Beaulieu". www.solentway.co.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  6. ↑ Andrew Walmsley (2008). "Beaulieu History: a brief overview". New Forest Explorers' Guide. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  7. 1 2 Catharina van der Vorm; Emma Page. "Sowley House and the Ironworks" (PDF). Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  8. ↑ Jeremy Greenwood (Winter 2002). "The Sowley Ironworks and its naval connections" (PDF). HMS News. Historical Metallurgy Society. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  9. ↑ "Henry Pocock and his Family". The history of Chalfont St Giles . Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  10. ↑ Jeremy Greenwood. A history of the ironworks at Sowley.2005.
  11. ↑ "Beaulieu: Historical or Literary Associations". Hampshire Treasures. Hampshire County Council. 29 March 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  12. ↑ J. S. P. Agg Large. "The Lonely Men of the Forest". The Rufus Stone and the Purkis Connection. Archived from the original on 22 February 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  13. ↑ Pat Holt (23 June 2001). "Seaside Paradise". thisishampshire.net. Retrieved 8 October 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  14. ↑ Richard Platt. "Smuggling in Hampshire". Tempus Publishing. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  15. 1 2 "Sowley Pond SSSI – Notification details" (PDF). Natural England. 1984. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  16. ↑ Peter Burford (3 May 2002). "Orchids of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight". Southampton Natural History Society. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  17. ↑ Martin Rand (2006). "Arable Margins - Reaping the Benefits?". Hants Plants: Botany in Hampshire. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  18. ↑ Chalmers, Mike. Hampshire Bird Report 2018. Hampshire Ornithological Society. p. 55.
  19. ↑ "Variable Damselfly". Hampshire Dragonflies. localpatch. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  20. ↑ "British Mammals: Sika Deer". BBC. 15 June 2007. Retrieved 8 October 2009.

50°46′12″N1°28′12″W / 50.770°N 1.470°W / 50.770; -1.470

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