Waters Of The Forest Of Dean
Cannop Ponds
Cannop Ponds are two large ponds, just north of Parkend. The ponds, and surrounding area, are a popular tourist destination.
An area of reeds above the top pond, known as 'Cannop Bridge Marsh', is a nature reserve managed (under agreement since 1983) by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. The site (Cannop Bridge Marsh and Cannop Ponds & Woods) are listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site.
Famous for its two large ponds and Forestry Commission picnic site, there was no historical settlement at Cannop, but the entire area was a centre of much industrial activity in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The ponds are not natural, being created in 1826 on naturally marshy ground to form reservoirs to supply Parkend Ironworks, over a mile downstream. The flow of water was regulated by a weirs (which still exist at the southern ends of the ponds) and the water was channelled to Parkend in stone lined waterways known as 'leats'. Between the ponds are Cannop Stonework's which began wok in 1902 to produce high quality building stone from the numerous quarries in the area.
Reference: Wikipedia & FOD Attractions
An area of reeds above the top pond, known as 'Cannop Bridge Marsh', is a nature reserve managed (under agreement since 1983) by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. The site (Cannop Bridge Marsh and Cannop Ponds & Woods) are listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site.
Famous for its two large ponds and Forestry Commission picnic site, there was no historical settlement at Cannop, but the entire area was a centre of much industrial activity in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The ponds are not natural, being created in 1826 on naturally marshy ground to form reservoirs to supply Parkend Ironworks, over a mile downstream. The flow of water was regulated by a weirs (which still exist at the southern ends of the ponds) and the water was channelled to Parkend in stone lined waterways known as 'leats'. Between the ponds are Cannop Stonework's which began wok in 1902 to produce high quality building stone from the numerous quarries in the area.
Reference: Wikipedia & FOD Attractions
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© STEVE GASKIN PHOTOGRAPHY 2015 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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