Ponds provide some of the most biodiverse habitats within Chiddingly, but many require restoration and management to maximise their benefits for nature. To date, three pond restoration projects have been supported by the Lund Trust: in the Jubilee Field (Muddles Green), Community Orchard (Chiddingly) and on Nash Street Farm. This page provides information about each of those projects. 

Pond restoration in the Jubilee Field, Muddles Green

The Jubilee Field in Muddles Green (directly opposite Chiddingly Primary School) is owned and managed by Chiddingly Parish Council, and includes a large playing field and children's play area. The southern end of the field was fenced off in the late 2010s and left to rewild. By 2025, the area required a 'reset'. The pond was completely overshadowed by trees, partly filled by sediment and clogged by pondweed and rushes. The adjacent fenced area was covered by invasive brambles.

View of the fenced-off area of the Jubilee Field looking south towards the pond area (image © David Nash).

Close-up of the completely overgrown pond area (image © David Nash)

Local contractors commenced pond restoration work in August 2025. This involved removing the line of trees immediately south of the pond to allow natural light onto the water surface throughout the day. Alder, oak, willow and silver birch trees were thinned and willow trees adjacent to the pond coppiced. The pond was deepened by up to ~1 metre in places to create a stepped profile. The excavated sediment was used to build a low bund across the pond outlet to maintain a higher year-round water level. A flat platform was created just above the maximum water level to allow safe year-round access to the pond edge. The brash, tree trunks and other woody debris were used to create a range of habitats for birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles around the site, including wood piles and hibernacula.

Overview of the Jubilee Field pond site showing the areas where trees had been removed, thinned and coppiced (image © David Nash).

Work begins to deepen the pond and clear invasive rushes (image © David Nash)

View of the cleared pond with only a small area of rushes (image © David Nash).

Volunteers work to clear brambles from around the pond (image © David Nash)

Volunteers removing brambles from around the feeder stream (image © David Nash)

Vegetation management across the entire site was carried out in September 2025 by a team of eight members of The Conservation Volunteers supported by three volunteers from the Greening Chiddingly group. The work focussed on the removal of brambles and thistles from the western part of the site, and the strimming of a 1.2 m wide access route from the site entrance to the newly created pond-side platform. Dug-over areas were re-seeded using a mix of native Wealden grass and wildflower seeds (from local suppliers Sow Wild) to enhance the plant biodiversity of the site.

Plans are now in place to install an interpretation board, safety equipment and seating at the site, so that the wider community can enjoy the return of insects, birds and amphibians to the pond area in the Spring and Summer.

Pond restoration in the Community Orchard, Chiddingly

The Community Orchard, just to the north of Chiddingly Parish Church, contains a small seasonal pond in its northeast corner. Prior to restoration work, the pond was completely overgrown, partially filled with fallen leaves, and overshadowed by a line of trees marking the field boundary. The area to the south of the pond was covered by invasive brambles.

Work on the pond was carried out in August 2025, in the same week as the works in the Jubilee Field. The pond has been deepened by ~1 metre and the excavated material used to build a low bund across the rear outlet to maintain a higher water level during winter and spring months. A shallow scrape has been dug to the south of the pond to create a seasonally flooded wetland area. The vegetation around the pond has been cleared and several of the larger trees thinned to allow more natural light into the pond area. The brash, tree trunks and cut branches have been used to create a range of habitats for birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles around the site, including woodpiles and hibernacula.

View across the Community Orchard towards the pond area (image © David Nash)

Close-up of the unmanaged pond area, crowded by vegetation (image © David Nash)

View of the restored pond area showing the deepened pond (left) and new scrape, with thinned trees and woodpiles to the rear (image © Mark Valleley)

View of the new scrape dug to the south of the pond (image © Mark Valleley)

Close-up of a hibernaculum for insects, reptiles and amphibia (image © David Nash)

Pond restoration on Nash Street Farm

Nash Street Farm is a mixed farm on the eastern edge of Chiddingly Parish that has been owned by the Thomas family since 1955. The pond is situated immediately east of Nash Street, half way between the A22 and Thunder's Hill, and includes an area of open water with a small wooded island in the middle. The pond area had not been managed for over 20 years, during which time the island vegetation had grown considerably, preventing light reaching the pond surface and reducing the range of potential aquatic and bankside habitats. In short, the pond was in need of restoration work.

Any nature restoration project requires the vision of the landowner. As farmer Lucy Carnaghan Holt describes: "We knew that we wanted to increase biodiversity on the farm and awaken the pond and aquatic life. We also wanted to see what we could do to reduce flooding downstream of the pond by enlarging the wetland area. This seemed like an excellent opportunity for a project under Phase 1 of Greening Chiddingly’s applications to the Lund Trust".

Local contractors commenced work to manage the island vegetation in September 2024. This involved cutting back, felling and coppicing existing bankside trees. Two felled trees were left by the side of the pond to help with habitat creation. A 400 cubic metre scrape was also dug close to the pond inlet to create a brand new wetland area.

The pond on Nash Street Farm prior to management work in 2024 (image © Lucy Carnaghan Holt)

Before and after views of the pond following management of the island vegetation (image © Lucy Carnaghan Holt)

Even though the project was only finished in late 2024, the restored pond, island and new scrape are already contributing to Greening Chiddingly's shared community vision to create new habitats and restore habitat connectivity.

As Lucy describes: "The results really are incredible. Not only is water able to flow more freely around the island and down to the inlet, but the increase in sunlight to the island and pond has benefitted both the marginal and aquatic plants. We finally have pond weed present! Dragonflies, butterflies and water beetles have all returned to the pond area. As it fills with water and sediment, we hope that the scrape will improve the structural diversity of our lower lying farmland and create new wildlife habitats, especially for invertebrates. We also hope that the new wetland area will hold water during the wetter months of the year and prevent runoff reaching Nash Street". 

View of the pond area following vegetation thinning (image © Lucy Carnaghan Holt)

Overview of the restored pond area (image © Lucy Carnaghan Holt)

View of the pond area following restoration work (image © Lucy Carnaghan Holt)

View of the new scrape dug close to the pond inlet (image © Lucy Carnaghan Holt)