Waggoners Wells

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Waggoners Wells (also sometimes written with an apostrophe: Waggoners' Wells) is a series of ponds with a connecting stream set amongst tranquil woodlands in a steep valley to the south east of The National Trust owned Ludshott Common in East Hampshire, England.

1 Topography
2 History
3 Present day
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Topography

Ludshott Common is one of the largest remaining areas of heathland in East Hampshire. It lies parallel to and south of the B3002 road between Headley Down to the west and Grayshott to the east. It covers 285 hectares (700 acres) and is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Protection Area (SPA) due to the habitat.

Waggoners Wells is situated between Ludshott Common to the North West and Bramshott Common to the South East. Vehicular access is via Waggoners Wells Lane from Grayshott. Historically the lane wound it's way eastwards to join up with Kingswood Lane, and thence the London to Portsmouth road (A3); but today only a footpath through the woodland remains.

The stream that emerges from the pond furthest to the south-west is Cooper's Stream. There is a house close to the stream, separated only by a narrow strip for the footpath along that bank, on the north side of the stream just west of the westernmost pond. This is Summerden; it is private, the residence of the National Trust warden of the area. Near it is a wishing well, mentioned by Flora Thompson in her writings of the locality. The stream flowing from Waggoners Wells runs west to Stanford, around the west of Headley, and eventually into the river Wey. The stream powered many mills that worked ironworks, including Headley mill. Paper mills were also run along the water that flowed from Waggoners Wells.

[edit] History

The original name of the series of ponds was Wakeners' Wells. The ponds were created in the 17th Century by the Hooke family of Bramshott.^[1] They were possibly originally intended as hammer ponds, that is, to serve the local iron industry, but they appear never to have been so used. ^[2]

Ludshott Common owes its present state to the traditional use made of common land by local people: to graze their cattle, pigs, sheep, and ponies and to collect gorse, heather, wood, and bracken for fuel, and for animal bedding and winter fodder. Such uses ceased around the beginning of the 20th century.