Iron Ponds

[Michael]

We are in the process of having our house fully renovated. One of the window installers hails from SE Kent and also fishes. Over a cup of tea, we discussed his early years, specifically fishing Iron ponds. Never having the privilege of fishing said ancient ponds, I`m seeking further clarification. The chap claims, that some of these ancient ponds were never deliberately stocked, but naturally, presumably by say ducks feet? (I don't know). Has anyone any experience fishing these ancient ponds and can they shed any light on the stocking....

[RBTraditional]

Hi Merlot, if you look at a map of kent, particularly the Weald you will see it is covered in little blue dots, most of these are furnace ponds harking back to the Roman times right up until ship building and tool making was found to be easier with coal on the furnace (hotter flame). The term Weald means wood and Kent and West sussex were covered by massive oak forests which were cut to burn on the furnaces and to buid ships for the Navy in latter times. Kent is rich in iron ore and would have been the industrial area of England up until 300 - 400 years ago.

Many of the ponds (we have a few on the farm here) do contain fish of many species including wildies, which could be decendants of the Roman stockings? Some ponds are controlled by local angling clubs and are or have been stocked in the not too distant past, some are fishable with the landowners permission, usually granted if you try the traditional approach and ask nicely, followed by a bottle of something. Alas there are many furnace ponds that have fallen into disrepair, no longer contain water etc, but the good news is there are grants available through the government to farmers to restore these for habitat enhancement, a number of my friends and associates have taken advantage of this.

Oh, and to answer your other question, yes I fish furnace ponds regularly, some are quite small but usually deep others can be up to half an acre. They tend to be very underfished, but can provide some cracking sport for unknown, uncaught fish.....lots of mystery! Jack Hargreaves did a session on one for his Out of Town series, which you can get on DVD, well worth a look.

[Michael]

Cheers RBTraditional much appreciated. I`ve just found and watched Jack Hargreaves in my JH DVD set....

[RBTraditional]

My pleasure sir, if you'd like any more info please drop me a line. The JH episode is a pleasure to watch. Just a note.... Iron ponds and furnace ponds are one and the same.......

[RBTraditional]

Jack Hargreaves did a session on one for his Out of Town series, which you can get on DVD, well worth a look.

I have the box set with that programe on it. It was very interesting as most of his programmes where/ are. One of my favourites is the rakemaker .

When I was a lad, Jack was compulsory viewing.....now all we get is reality crap tv and that bloody Julia Bradbury spoiling Countryfile with her townie take on rural Britain...............

[Michael]

I was lucky in meeting Mr Hargreaves, in the mid 70`s whilst attending horticultural college and on several shoots, on which I accompanied my Grandfather in the New Forest Area. He was, one of those people and I know this sounds silly, was better in real life, than on screen or in a book, a very knowledgeable man.

[RBTraditional]

I was lucky in meeting Mr Hargreaves, in the mid 70`s whilst attending horticultural college and on several shoots, on which I accompanied my Grandfather in the New Forest Area. He was, one of those people and I know this sounds silly, was better in real life, than on screen or in a book, a very knowledgeable man.

My old man introduced me to him in the Bull Hotel at Downton Wilts, but I was only knee high to a grasshopper so the memory is very vauge....Billy lane was there too on the same week...but again too young to take it in...............

[GazTheAngler]

Lucky man RBT, would love to have met Jack one of my boyhood heroes.

I would say that watching him fishing on OOT was what made me want to fish.

Iron Ponds, Furnace ponds, are Hammer Ponds one and the same?

Never fished one but would like to.

I watch country file occaisonally, nowhere near as good as it used to be.

I used to love the bit in OOT when Jack used to produce some old weird looking rusty implement and ask if anbody knew what it was.

Great stuff. i am definately going to get OOT on DVD

Gaz

Gaz

[RBTraditional]

Gaz you are a man inspired by Jack, just as I was at a very young age and having an angling mad father helped enormously....angling is in the blood.
Yes hammer ponds, iron ponds and furnace ponds are one and the same. You can hardly walk the width of two fields in this part of Kent before you stumble accross one, I have found some very special ones over the years and fish them quite regularly....nice for a couple of hours after work, sitting with a cane and pin watching a goose quill float, never quite knowing what you might catch.......

[BarbelBonce]

May I recommend "Hammer and Furnace Ponds, Relics of the Wealden Iron Industry", by Helen Pearce, Pomegranate Press, ISBN 978190724215-1, £8.99. I have no connection other than being an owner and keen re-reader of a copy.
Fewer (just) than 100 pages giving good potted histories, photos, 6 figure map refs and some information as to what their present status is.
Hammer ponds, hammer woods, furnace ponds, mill ponds, pen ponds and so on are all described therein. Many currently well-known lakes were once involved in iron production, though their present names may not indicate this.
East Sussex seems to hold a preponderance of these ponds, although Kentish men would argue otherwise!
(Or should that be Men of Kent?).