Forest pool

Throughout the ages the extraction of gravel, sand and clay from about the forest has left  innumerable quarry sites. Many of these old quarries seasonally fill with water, and some hold year nearly all round. They create welcome wildlife oases throughout the forest.

Eyeworth Pond

 

Tranquil. Eyeworth Pond early this morning.

Rowbarrow pond

Reflections at Rowbarrow.

Lakewood

 

The underlying Eocene clays have traditionally ensured that the Highcliffe area has been wet, crossed by rivulets, pocked with ponds, generally soft under foot and prone to standing water during the wet seasons. Before settling on Highcliffe-on-Sea one of the village's names was Slop Pond, you can understand why they changed it, even if the latter is descriptively appropriate.  Lakewood is one of the remaining ponds; a good sized pond with a small island, one half surrounded with what's left of the woodland the pond was set in up to the 80's housing expansion, the other grass and open mature/veteran trees, nice. Recently some local fishy folks have cleared the pond out of clogging mud, detritus natural and otherwise, and choking flora; they've restored the banks and restocked the water with good sized fish which lurk just visible in the murky waters. A nice spot to visit on our local walks. An amazing nature oasis.

Hidden away

Hidden away in the Streamer Point nature reserve, just a few meters back from the cliff edge, are two ornamental ponds...I'd imagine they were once part of Highcliffe Castle's gardens. For years these ponds languished neglected, although through the work from volunteers they're slowly being brought back to life. Tranquil nature oases like these are essential to both wildlife and us alike.

Resilience

 That's just showing off, man. The resilient Pine.  

Warwickslade pond

Warwickslade pond, a seasonal watering hole returned.