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The many ponds in and around Hartley Wintney are a legacy to the fact that the location of the main village as we know it today was marshland in the medieval ages. Subsequently drovers used the ponds for their cattle for watering and washing.
In addition to those featured below, others include Turnpike Pond, Vicarage Hill Pond, James Farm Pond, Thackhams Lane Pond and the pond at Hunts Common. For some, ‘pond’ maybe something of a misnomer as little if any surface water is evident!
The picturesque and popular Causeway Pond, situated opposite the Causeway Farm farmhouse, is one of the most visited of our village ponds and remains one of the most charming attractions of the village with its abundant bird population.
Dilly Pond is probably the last remaining feature of the medieval village which was centred around St Mary’s Church some half a mile away from what is now Hartley Wintney High Street. Old pictures show it as a watering hole for cattle, a role it played for several centuries until it was bypassed by the precursor to the A30.
Clearance work at the end of December 2020 has raised hopes that Hattens Pond will soon be returned to its former glory. There is outstanding work needed which will include clearance of the silt although this will have to wait till later this year on ecological grounds. Plans are in hand, too, to reshape the Weeping Willow and remove the cherry tree which rather cramps its habitat.
This is a delightful pond with its own duck house tucked away in the corner between Thackhams Lane and the A30 just beyond the traffic lights as you approach the village from Hook.