James Whitcombe
Why These Old Water Sources Still Matter
Scattered across the British countryside are hundreds of dew ponds, livestock ponds, holy wells and village pumps that once kept farms, hamlets and droves alive. Many have quietly silted up, their stonework tumbled, their margins swallowed by scrub. Restoring them is rewarding work, and it is surprisingly achievable with a small, determined group of volunteers and a sensible plan.
A restored dew pond or well is more than a pretty feature. It is a reservoir of biodiversity, a refuge for amphibians and dragonflies, a historic record in stone, and often the only standing water for miles across chalk downland or heath. Getting one back into good order takes patience, muscle and a genuine understanding of how these structures work.
Understanding What You Are Dealing With
Before anyone lifts a spade, work out what you actually have. Dew ponds are shallow, clay-lined hollows, traditionally built on high ground where mist and condensation add to rainfall. Many have a puddled clay base, sometimes laid over straw or bracken, and a ring of stones or a clay lip to hold the water. Wells are different creatures entirely: a shaft, a lining of brick or stone, a headwall, and often a pump, windlass or well cover.
- Dew ponds: look for the flat bottom, the clay pan, and the raised lip. If the clay has cracked or been punctured, water will drain away however much rain falls.
- Wells: check the headwall, the coping stones and the surrounding drainage. Surface water running in is the single most common cause of contamination.
- Historic mapping: old Ordnance Survey maps and tithe records often show a pond or well that has since vanished, which helps confirm position and shape.
Take photographs, note the dimensions, and record any stonework or ironwork before you touch it. If the site is a scheduled monument or lies within a conservation area, you will need consent from the relevant heritage body before altering anything.
Clearing Silt Without Wrecking the Ecology
Silt removal is the heart of most restorations, and also where well-meaning projects go wrong. The aim is not to strip the pond to bare clay but to restore depth and open water while leaving a healthy margin and a refuge for wildlife.
- Work in late summer or early autumn, when amphibians have left the water and before winter rains refill it.
- Remove no more than a third of the silt in any one year, and never all of it at once.
- Pile dredgings well back from the water's edge for a few days so creatures can crawl back, then spread them thinly on nearby grassland.
- Keep the clay pan intact. If you breach it, you will need to re-puddle with local clay, which is a job for a specialist contractor.
Never use a digger on a fragile clay base without an experienced operator, and never empty a pond that supports great crested newts without checking the legal position first. Slow, hand-led work is usually best.
Repairing Stonework and Wellheads
For wells, the headwall and coping are the priority. Rebuild loose courses with a lime mortar, not cement, so the structure can breathe and move with frost. Match the original stone where you can, sourcing from a local quarry or reusing fallen material. A simple well cover, either a hinged timber lid or a grill, prevents accidents and keeps leaves out.
- Repoint with a weak lime mix, typically one part lime to three parts sharp sand.
- Clear the drainage channel around the headwall so surface water runs away from the shaft.
- If there is a pump, have it assessed by a specialist before attempting to free it; seized ironwork breaks easily.
- Fit a dipping platform or stepped access if the site will be used by the public.
For dew ponds, rebuild the retaining lip and any stone kerb, and check that the overflow is clear. A blocked overflow is a common reason a pond erodes its own bank and drains.
Replanting Native Margins for Wildlife
The margin is where most of the life is. Once the water is clear and the edge open, plant a diverse but locally appropriate mix. Use native species of local provenance, and plant in bands: submerged, emergent and marginal.
- Emergent: lesser spearwort, water mint, brooklime and ragged robin.
- Marginal: purple loosestrife, meadowsweet and flag iris, which also stabilise banks.
- Submerged: hornwort and water starwort, good oxygenators for still water.
Avoid invasive species such as New Zealand pygmyweed and floating pennywort. Leave a rough, uncut strip of grass and nettles on one side for amphibians and insects, and resist the urge to tidy every edge. Fencing may be needed where livestock would trample the margin, but leave gaps for wildlife access.
Managing the Site for the Long Term
Restoration is not a one-off. A dew pond or well needs a light annual routine to stay healthy. Check water levels after dry spells, clear fallen leaves from wells each autumn, and remove excess silt from a third of the pond on rotation. Record what you see: frogspawn counts, dragonfly sightings, water clarity. That record becomes the evidence that keeps a community interested.
Involve local schools, parish councils and wildlife trusts early, and share the story of the site, its age, its builders, the drovers or worshippers who used it. When people understand what they have, they look after it. A restored well or dew pond is a small, stubborn act of care, and it will repay that care for generations.
