Haslemere Museum's wildlife pond is full to the brim again

The freshwater pond situated in the beautiful historic grounds of Haslemere Museum was running dry due to damaged mortar joints. Thankfully a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Sharing Heritage1 grant was awarded to the Museum allowing vital restoration work to the pond to be carried out. This restoration work included repairs by Transform Landscapes which was achieved with clay and traditional craftsmanship.

The pond at Haslemere Museum was originally created from springs that run through the landscape and over the years has become a paradise for creatures, insects, and plants. Towards the end of last year, water levels started dropping dramatically because of holes in the brick wall which retains the oval shaped pond on one side.

Transform Landscapes, who have been designing, creating and maintaining gardens and providing tree care in the local area for over 30 years and are a corporate patron of the museum, cleaned out all the loose vegetation and imported neat clay to create a collar around the vulnerable side of the pond. The collar was fashioned using tools and then carefully hand moulded to make the final shape.

The project was led by Jamie Wild who had previously worked for Grayshott Pottery before joining Transform Landscapes. “This was a huge advantage as Jamie could apply his clay potting skills to create a perfect shape,” says Simon Gray, Managing Director of Transform Landscapes.

The collar which extends half way around the wall side of the pond reaching right down to the bottom provided a perfect solution. Because of these works and the improvements to the pumping system carried out by the museum staff, the pond at the Museum is now full again and thriving with spring wildlife.

Nicholas Harding, Premises Manager, commented “It’s great that we have been awarded this grant and we are extremely grateful to HLF for enabling us to carry out the project which is essential to maintain biodiversity and make sure wildlife continues to flourish. I would also like to thank Transform Landscapes for their support with the project in addition to our dedicated volunteer team for all their hard work. It is wonderful to see the pond restored and for our many visitors to enjoy its beauty and the variety of fauna and flora that are drawn to both the garden and pond.”

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