References to a fishery or pond in Kew date back over a thousand
years.
The pond was fed from a creek running from the River Thames and
it is thought that King Henry VIII's barge was moored there when
the King moved from York Palace to Richmond Palace and subsequently
to Hampton Court.
In 1824 a herdsman was appointed, one of his duties being to
drive the cattle to water at the Pond off Kew Green. In the same
year, the creek was partly built over.
There have been many proposals over the years to get rid of the
pond, but local residents win their appeal each time.
In the early 1900s a concrete ramp was built and the walls were
concreted. The ramp is a 100 year old car wash, it was used by
carters to wash the wheels on their carts and water their horses.
The bottom of the pond was concreted over in 1934/5. Following
flooding in 1965, the remainder of the creek was concreted over and
a network of drains constructed to link the pond with the river
through a heavy iron flap which can only be accessed at low
tide.
The Friends of Kew Pond ensure it is filled once a month from
The Thames and hold clean up days to keep the pond in good shape.
They would prefer it if you didn't throw food into the pond to feed
the ducks as it can create a mess and encourage rats. If you'd like
to feed the ducks please do so on the ramp and clear any away that
isn't eaten. Thank you.
So, onto the cache. It's moderately sneaky but should be
accessible to all. You do not need to cross over the fence line or
get wet! Please bring a pen or pencil and be wary of muggles, this
is a busy area - try and be subtle!
FTF prize is a little geocaching compass and all bragging
rights! Well done to rodz! FTF within 15 minutes of publishing, not
bad at all considering the traffic that is nearly always on Kew
Bridge!