Forests & woodlands · South West England
Soudley Ponds
In or near Newnham.
Lying close to the village of Soudley in the Forest of Dean, west Gloucestershire, Soudley Ponds (grid reference SO662112), also known as Sutton Ponds, comprise four linked man-made ponds lined in suc
Eric Soons — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Parkend · 5.6 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Soudley Ponds, the nearest railway station is Parkend, located 5.6 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is GL14 2TX. Entry to Soudley Ponds is free.
About
Lying close to the village of Soudley in the Forest of Dean, west Gloucestershire, Soudley Ponds (grid reference SO662112), also known as Sutton Ponds, comprise four linked man-made ponds lined in succession through the narrow Sutton Valley, and surrounded by stands of tall Douglas Fir. It is a 7.04-hectare (17.4-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1984. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Buckshraft Mine & Bradley Hill Railway Tunnel SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Soudley Ponds SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Lying close to the village of Soudley in the Forest of Dean, west Gloucestershire, Soudley Ponds (grid reference SO662112), also known as Sutton Ponds, comprise four linked man-made ponds lined in succession through the narrow Sutton Valley, and surrounded by stands of tall Douglas Fir. It is a 7.04-hectare (17.4-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1984. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The ponds were formerly believed to have been dug in the 18th century to provide water to the furnaces in the Soudley Valley and at the nearby Camp Mill. In fact these would have been fed from the Soudley Brook, and from the Tilting Mill Pool, now in the grounds of the Dean Heritage Centre. It has also been erroneously claimed that they were dug long before this as fish ponds by the monks of the nearby Flaxley Abbey. However, Atkinson’s map of 1847 shows only a stream running through the valley where the ponds now lie, and it is nowadays assumed that were created as fish ponds after the land’s 1836 purchase by mine-owner William Crawshay. In 1899 the ponds, along with the rest of the…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.7989, -2.4908
- County
- Gloucestershire
- District
- Forest of Dean
- Parish
- Ruspidge and Soudley
- Postcode
- GL14 2TX
- Parliamentary constituency
- Forest of Dean
- Nearest railway station
- Parkend — 5.6 km
Sources
- wikipedia: Soudley Ponds (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Dean Heritage Museum
Museums · 0.6 km
Dean Heritage Centre
Museums · 0.7 km
Soudley Camp
Vineyards · 0.7 km
Blaze Bailey
Mountains & hills · 0.7 km
Soudley
Museums · 0.9 km
Road Bridge At Soudley, At Ngr So 665104
Historic bridges · 0.9 km
Blaize Bailey Viewpoint
Viewpoints · 1.0 km
Enfield Park
Caravan parks · 1.6 km
Lower Soudley
Villages · 1.7 km
Staple Edge Hill
Mountains & hills · 1.9 km
Roman temple at Dean Hall, Littledean
Follies · 2.1 km
Little Dean
Villages · 2.3 km
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Soudley Ponds?
- Soudley Ponds is in Gloucestershire, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode GL14 2TX), in the parish of Ruspidge and Soudley.
- What is Soudley Ponds?
- Lying close to the village of Soudley in the Forest of Dean, west Gloucestershire, Soudley Ponds (grid reference SO662112), also known as Sutton Ponds, comprise four linked man-made ponds lined in suc
- How do I get to Soudley Ponds?
- The nearest railway station is Parkend, about 5.6 km away. Drivers can use postcode GL14 2TX.
- Is Soudley Ponds a protected site?
- Yes — Soudley Ponds is part of the Buckshraft Mine & Bradley Hill Railway Tunnel SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Soudley Ponds SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Soudley Ponds free to visit?
- Yes, Soudley Ponds is free to enter.
- How do I get to Soudley Ponds?
- The nearest railway station is Parkend, about 5.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode GL14 2TX.