Chartridge Green Pond Project

On several maps dating from the end of the 18th century to the mid 19th century, the village of Chartridge is referred to as 'Chartridge Green'. Although 'Green' is no longer used in the name, the wide strip of common land immediately east of the Bell public house remains as a reminder that this was once an important place in the village. The green is a useful feature of many English villages - it was a place where villagers who did not have their own pasture had the right to graze livestock and it was a public space that may have been used for gatherings on special days, although, as far as we know, Chartridge has never had a market or fair on its green. It is most likely that Chartridge's village green was primarily for animals to graze and drink.

The provision of water was once an important function of Chartridge's green - it has two ponds and there were three, as can been seen on the 1843 Tithe map, now held at the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies in Aylesbury. Ponds occur at frequent intervals all the way along the ridges that surround Chesham. There are some wells but these have to be made very deep to reach the water table, so before the installation of piped water in the 1930s people and animals were dependent on rainwater collected during the winter months. In their book, Hilltop Villages of the Chilterns, David and Joan Hay write:
'Drinking water was virtually non existent. Every garden had its brick tank with a domed top to collect rainwater and hoped that the winter rains would fill it enough to see them through a dry summer....The farmers had their own ponds for the stock, and when supplies ran out in the cottages the children were sent to wriggle their way through the fences an collect a bucketful.'

Over the years, many of Chartridge's ponds have become neglected and overgrown and partly as a result of the recent dry summers some of them have become virtually dry. Not only does the water in the pond evaporate, the pond's lining needs to be kept waterproof. Man-made ponds, as Chartridge's ponds may originally have been, were lined with clay to stop the water leeching out into the surrounding earth. Tree roots disturb this waterproof layer and the trees themselves absorb a large amount of water through their roots.

A small team of Chartridge residents has been working to secure permission from Chiltern District Council to regenerate one of the ponds on Chartridge Green and make this an attractive feature for the village. The long pond to the east of Maple Tree Farm, was selected because, unlike some of the other ponds, it does not take contaminated run-off water from the road. It is also far enough from the road to allow ample space for viewing areas around the pond. The intention is to reintroduce suitably indigenous plants to the pond fringes and to encourage wildflowers on the adjacent meadow grass.

Through the project team's efforts, partial funding has now been obtained and with support from Chilterns Conservation Board, Pond Conservation Trust, Chartridge Parish Council and Chiltern District Council. Starting in January, when forty-five villagers turned out to clear brambles, working parties cleared the pond and 'puddled' in a new clay lining. This is now complete and the margins and banks have been planted with reeds, wild flowers and other plants suitable to the conditions.

For further information about the Chartridge Green Pond Project contact Chris Howell 01494 784350.

Read Chris Howell's newsletter (pdf file) about pond regeneration.