ENN110812 - Stew Ponds, Canons Ashby, 2014 (Core sampling)

A walkover survey and palaeoenvironmental sampling were undertaken at the site of the Stew Ponds at Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire. The investigation was undertaken as part of a wider feasibility study to examine whether the Stew Ponds can be successfully de-silted and reinstated. There were originally were three ponds, however the southern pond has been completely infilled. The remaining two ponds were heavily silted and vegetated with mature trees and aquatic plants, with open water being present only in the northern pond. Fourteen cores were taken from the two ponds, with samples taken either at 0.5m increments or where a sediment change occurred. Samples were submitted for pollen analysis and four for plant microfossil analysis. The preservation of organic remains was good in all samples, with most identified taxa indicating slow-moving or stagnant water. These remains indicate that an open grazed/cultivated landscape was prevalent within the immediate landscape during the time that the ponds were silting up. The main source of water for the ponds is likely to have been a leat from the former moat to the north-west. Features relating to the medieval priory, including the fish ponds and moat, were incorporated into the post-Dissolution garden of John Cope, established in 1538. Other garden features surviving as structures and earthworks include a raised walkway, a prospect mound, a walled garden and a possible building platform. Though some features have been levelled, the surviving elements form part of one of the earliest post-medieval gardens identified in the country. Information from OASIS Online Form.