Monument record MDO5752 - Pond head, Holt

An earthwork across the valley of a small stream, forming a dam. In 1975 this monument was reported as being 230 yards long, 75 feet wide and 14 feet high at its highest point. It no longer serves as a dam, as the stream flows in a channel through the earthworks, and was depicted as disused on a map of 1811. It is believed locally that the dam was constructed in the 18th century to form a duck decoy.

DAM (034046), called Pond Head, spans the valley of a small stream flowing S.E. It was already disused in 1811 (O.S. 1811) and its origin is unknown. The bank is 230 yds. long, 75 ft. wide and 14 ft. high at the centre. The stream now flows through a channel near the S.W. end of the earthwork. <2>

It is believed locally that the dam was built in the 18th century to create a pond for wild duck shooting. <3>

A map by Rychard Hardinge c.1600AD shows the dam and a large lake behind it. The stream is shown flowing past the north end of the dam. An estate map of 1774 by William Woodward shows that the pond is gone, but the dam is still shown. <4>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1890 (Map). SWX1540.

(SU 03330453 - SU 03450470) Pond Head (NR)

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 34 (Monograph). SDO129.

‘(30) DAM (034046), called Pond Head, spans the valley of a small stream flowing S.E. It was already disused in 1811 (O.S. 1811) and its origin is unknown. The bank is 230 yds. long, 75 ft. wide and 14 ft. high at the centre. The stream now flows through a channel near the S.W. end of the earthwork.’

<3> Swatridge, G C, Various, Field Investigators Comments GCS, F1 GCS 25-MAR-54 (Unpublished document). SWX1169.

<3.1> Wakefield, G H, Oral: G H Wakefield, Cutlers Farm, Gaunts Common (Verbal communication). SDO19719.

<4> Hanks, Nick, An Historic Assessment of Holt Forest and Holt Wood for English Nature (Unpublished document). SDO19468.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213158 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 7 2023 7:41AM