A small natural pond is hidden in a shady woodland clearing on the outskirts of Brighton. Planted with native aquatic species and surrounded by a pretty “dead hedge”, it is an exciting new addition to Hollingbury Woods.
Dragonflies danced above the pond as garden writer Kate Bradbury officially opened it on August 11. This marked the culmination of six months of hard work by volunteers from Friends of Hollingbury and Burstead Woods, who have looked after the woodland since the great storm of 1987. The project was led by Will Johanson of national conservation charity Froglife, which works to protect Britain’s reptile and amphibian species, and was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
An enthusiastic group of people involved in the construction of the pond, as well as members of the local community, attended the opening ceremony to celebrate its completion. Speaking at the event, the Mayor of Brighton and Hove, Mohammed Asaduzzaman, praised the “wonderful project” which he said will be an asset to the area.
First comes the digging of the pond
The most suitable location for the pond was chosen to be Tennis Glade (below the tennis courts in Hollingbury Park) as the clearing is relatively open and receives sufficient sunlight for plant growth.
Last winter, the friends removed the surrounding vegetation and excavation work began in early March 2024. The dimensions of the pond were marked with tape to serve as a guide for those who wanted to get started with spades in hand.
Digging the pond basin through the chalk rock was a difficult task, with the combination of chalk and flint testing the volunteers’ determination and strength: “So many flints in every spade’s fill!” Gill wrote on the Friends’ Facebook page.
The site was sloping, so keeping the pond level was a big challenge. This involved moving soil from the “top” edge to the “bottom” edge of the pond. “It was a lot of fun and hard work, and it rained quite heavily at times!” Karen remembers.
These early stages of digging lasted several sessions and many hours, punctuated by welcome tea breaks. “A very worthwhile session. I can’t believe how much we all got done!” said Jane after a particularly hard morning’s work.
Lining the pond
Once the pond basin was dug to a sufficient depth, the pond was lined to protect it from sharp rocks and ensure it would collect and retain water. A synthetic rubber sheet was laid on top of the base, with each volunteer helping to line it with an edge. The sheet was extremely heavy, so it took the combined strength of the group to maneuver it into place.
To reduce the risk of the bank collapsing over the pond, a protective wall was built to stabilise it. This involved further considerable hard work, with volunteers digging post holes in the limestone. The wall will provide a wintering area and shelter for amphibians that use the pond.
While they were building the pond, the Friends received a lot of interest from members of the local community who regularly enjoy walking in the woods. Several left positive comments on the Friends’ Facebook page: “You guys are just amazing!! Thank you for all your hard work,” wrote one. “You are all local heroes. Thank you to each and every one of you,” said another.
Planting and creating a hedge
After the abundant rainwater in May had partially filled the pond, it was time to plant aquatic plants. “Underwater plants improve the oxygen supply to the water, floating plants provide protection and shore plants provide shade and cover for the pond inhabitants,” explains Will.
Then in June, volunteers planted 15 native aquatic plant species, including water figwort, water spearwort, water mint and hornwort. Many of these will flower and provide flying insects with the opportunity to feed on their nectar: ”Good selection,” wrote one Facebook supporter. “I look forward to seeing the pond come together and attract wildlife.”
Finally, a dead hedge was built from cut branches, an important barrier to protect the pond from dogs or people entering the water. Will told us: “Dead hedges are great for wildlife: invertebrates feed on the dead wood, they provide shelter for breeding birds and a place for amphibians to overwinter.”
Biodiversity and community impacts
Froglife and the Friends are delighted with the result after over 300 hours of volunteer work on the project. “We are optimistic that the pond will support amphibian breeding,” said Will. “Common frogs, smooth newts and common toads have all been spotted within a 1km radius of Hollingbury Woods.”
As well as amphibians, ponds are also home to many other wildlife, such as dragonflies and damselflies. Many animals also use ponds as a source of drinking water, particularly in the otherwise dry South Downs. Will said: “We were delighted when we discovered signs of badgers visiting the pond in Hollingbury Woods, just weeks after it began to fill with water.”
This pond is part of a local network of ponds created as part of Froglife’s Discovering Dewponds project. Other ponds nearby have been created at Balfour Primary School and Hollingdean Park Orchard.
“We’re delighted that it will not only support the area’s biodiversity but will also be used as a community resource,” said Lily from Froglife. Pupils from Balfour Primary School’s Wild Things afterschool club have already enjoyed dipping in the pond and adding to the deadwood hedge.
Will added: “Working with the Friends to create the natural pond has been a very rewarding process. We at Froglife have been inspired by the group’s enthusiasm and commitment to the pond project and support of the wider aims of the Neighbourhood Wildlife Corridor programme. The Friends members can be very proud of the result of their efforts!”
Many thanks to Will and Lily from Froglife for all the advice, help and enthusiasm in creating this project. We look forward to seeing Hollingbury Pond teeming with wildlife in the years to come, as well as providing much enjoyment for children and local people.
If you want to create your own pond, read Froglifes ‘Just add water’ Guide for information and advice, and add the location to our Habitat map.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO OUR CROWDFUNDER AND SUPPORT CITIZEN JOURNALISM!
