Monument record 0281500000 - HOME FARM, THORNTON

Plan Form - RECTANGULAR
COMPLEX OF PONDS ADJACENT TO R OUSE. FARMER AT HOME FARM SAYS LOWER (W) POND (NOW MOSTLY SILTED) WAS FOR BREEDING DUCKS, & UPPER (E) MOAT-SHAPED POND WAS FOR DECOYING DUCKS. UPPER POND IS STILL FAIRLY WELL-DEFINED & WATER FILLED. LATE C18? SKETCH & FURTHER INFO, CAS CARD. C.20M NW OF HOME FARM (B1).

A subrectangular pond of post medieval date is visible on remote sensing data as extant earthworks and was mapped as part of the North Buckinghamshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18304). Located approximately 300m south west of Thornton College and centred at SP 474861 236062. Subrectangular in outline and 54x80x49x60m along each length, likely to have been open to the river when in use. Duck ponds of the 18th century are more usually an open pond with pipes leading off it, where the ducks were hunted with the help of a dog to follow; this one is more like a moat in form but is very close to the River Great Ouse so it could have been open on to the river for water supply. The 1946 aerial photograph shows the area under woodland but part of the shape can be traced in the tree canopy; earthworks are clear on lidar visualisation; the pond appears to be partly silted up. (2-4)