Miller's Pond
| Miller's Pond | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | Local Nature Reserve |
| Location | Southampton, Hampshire |
| OS grid | SU 451 109 |
| Area | 8.1 hectares (20 acres) |
| Managed by | Southampton City Council |
Miller's Pond is an 8.1-hectare (20-acre) Local Nature Reserve in Southampton in Hampshire. It is owned and managed by Southampton City Council.[1][2]
The pond is managed for both angling and wildlife.[3] There are also areas of acid grassland and semi-natural woodland.[1]
The pond is fed by springs and drains to the stream that runs through Mayfield Park.[4]
History
[edit]There has been a pond on the site since at least the mid 18th century.[4] Originally it was significantly larger than its current size and in two parts.[4] By the 1960s the pond was starting to silt up.[4] The pond was drained completely in 1966 as part of preparations for large scale commercial and residential development of the area.[4]
In 1978 with the development permanently stalled the Southampton Schools Conservation Corps obtained permission to create a new (smaller) pond on the site of the previous ponds.[4] The work was carried out over the winter of 78/79.[4] In February 2022 Sholing Valleys Study Centre announced a plan for reconstruction work on the pond involving dredging and reinforcing the banks.[5] Shortly afterwards the pond was found to be home to the invasive topmouth gudgeon.[6] These were killed and the pond restocked in January 2024.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Miller's Pond". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "Map of Miller's Pond". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "Miller's Pond". Southampton City Council. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g A Survey of the Natural History of Major Southampton Ponds (PDF). Southampton Wildife link. 1994. pp. 22–26.
- ^ Costello, Tom (22 February 2022). "Project launched to restore Miller's Pond in Sholing". Daily Echo. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ a b George, Maya (25 January 2024). "Southampton's Millers Pond restocked with 1,000 fish". Southern Dail echo. Retrieved 25 January 2024.