Waggoners Wells

Waggoners Wells (also sometimes written with an apostrophe: Waggoners' Wells) is a National Trust reserve comprising of a series of man-made ponds with a connecting stream set amongst woodland in a steep valley to the south east of the larger adjoining National Trust owned Ludshott Common near Grayshott in East Hampshire, England.

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 convert|285|ha|acre 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 called Cooper's Stream. The house situated at the bottom of the ponds is Summerden and is a private 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.

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. [ [http://www.grayshott-archive.org.uk/articles/history_of_grayshott.html Grayshott Village Archive] ] 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. [ [http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-global/w-localtoyou/w-thames_solent/w-thames_solent-countryside/w-south_east-places-west_weald-ludshott.htm National Trust | South East | Ludshott Common & Waggoner's Wells] ]

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.

During second world war in the 1940s, Ludshott was used as a tank and maneuvers training ground, and the heather was largely turned to mud. The heather recovered, and was managed from the 1970s until today. During 1981, there was a large fire that destroyed a lot of the heather and woodland. This recovered naturally and then by heathland management organized by the national trust [http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/42/a2330542.shtml] .

Present day

The area is now of great wildlife interest and the ponds contain a variety of fish. [ [http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/cymraeg/lo/w-global/w-localtoyou/w-thames_solent/w-thames_solent-countryside/w-thames_solent-places-countryside-list.htm#ludshott National Trust | Thames & Solent | Places to visit | Countryside] ]

References

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External links

*cite web
title = Ludshott Common and Waggoner's Wells
publisher = The National Trust
url = http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-global/w-localtoyou/w-thames_solent/w-thames_solent-countryside/w-south_east-places-west_weald-ludshott.htm