Holywell Ponds, Longthorpe

Image: © Paul Bryan Taken: 2 Jul 2022

Holywell Ponds, located in the Longthorpe area of Peterborough, are a series of eight medieval ponds which formerly belonged to and provided a source of fresh fish for the Thorpe Hall estate. They are situated in a 3.5-hectare area of land which was designated as a nature reserve in 1992. The ponds themselves are fed by a natural spring at one corner of the site. The grotto from which the spring emanates was reputedly home to a holy hermit (possibly St. Botolph, to whom the local church is dedicated), hence the name "Holywell". The spring water is reputed to have healing qualities owing to the high level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), which were measured at 550 milligrams per litre. Commencing in September 2020, a team of local volunteers began establishing a wildflower meadow in the area around the spring. Sources: https://www.visitpeterborough.com/things-to-do/holywell-ponds-p874501#:~:text=The%20site%20of%20Holywell%20Ponds,constant%20supply%20of%20fresh%20fish https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/historic-local-ponds-transformed-idyllic-23335581 https://findaspring.com/spring/locations/europe/holy-well-mineral-spring-peterborough-cambridgeshire-england/

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