Newent Lake is a peaceful gem in the centre of this Glucestershire market-town.
The local residents (ducks and coots with the occasional swan and heron) are very friendly. Those in-the-know stock up with duck food at the local shops before braving the path round the lake where the feathered-ambush awaits.
Newent Lake is situated in the heart of the town. It is set in the grounds of the former Newent Court and was created from the fish ponds of medieval monks.
A leisurely stroll around the lake takes about 20 minutes. You will pass the millennium fountain and an island which is used as an annual nesting place for swans and ducks. Huge fish swim in the shallows under the bridge.
A SHORT HISTORY OF NEWENT
The town has a long history, with evidence of both Mesolithic and Neolithic periods.
By the Bronze age, metal working was taking place in the area.
It was during the Roman period however that Newent began to grow in importance and by the 2nd century AD it was a key settlement.
The Roman site at Newent is large, being spread over 117 acres and seems to have been a civilian venture rather than an official site; a high status Roman Villa was discovered in the area.
By late Saxon times, Newent was a manor which was held by the king and soon after the Norman Conquest, a motte & bailey castle had been built at Castletump to the north of the village.
Iron working still continued in the area and this helped establish the village, which by the 14th century had grown in to a small town.
A market was established quite early and the centrally sited Market House still exists, although the present structure is late 16th/early 17th century.
The church of St Mary was built in the 13th century, partially rebuilt after the nave collapsed in the 17th century and in 1968 its octagonal spire was partially taken down after it too was found to be dangerous.