Eyeworth Pond

 

Tranquil. Eyeworth Pond early this morning.

Eyeworth Pond

 

Tucked away, hidden at the head of a wooded valley Eyeworth Pond was created in the late 19th century in order to supply the nearby gunpowder factory by damming one of the the upper tributaries of Latchmore Brook; until 1921 the factory here produced smokeless gunpowder, and at the height of it's success it employed 100 people. Though it wasn't the first industry in this locale, nor possibly the largest; under the Romans this part of the forest was a major centre of pottery production in the 3rd century AD, running numerous large kilns. It's hard to imagine bustling industries here in the tranquillity of the deep forest. 

Bone dry brook

Even Geoff with his magnificent water detecting skills was for the most part out of luck on this morning's walk. Both Dockens Water and Latchmoor Brook were bone dry, at least on the surface anyway. Shocking as it may appear, and not wishing to downplay climate change, on this occasion it's not uncommon for the forest's streams to show the naked bottoms; it's for how long that could be the sign of longer term environmental change. All that said, further up the brook shallow murky puddles could still occasionally be found enduring...much to Geoff's delight; luckily our route passed Eyeworth Pond we're he could ditch the murk.