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Willersey is a picturesque village with stone houses and wide, well-trimmed verges but one of its attractions is the duck pond which lies beside Main Street. Its circumference is roughly 80 metres and it is surrounded on three sides by grass. The fourth side is bounded by the garden of a large house to which the pond once belonged. In the centre is a small island of Cotswold stones which acts as a refuge from foxes for any water birds. The ducks not only attract tourists but also local people who feed them on seedless grapes, birdseed, cooked rice, peas, beans and oats. Stale bread is not good. As of December 2020 there were 18 ducks in the pond with a high proportion of drakes. Originally the ducks were domestic ones but now they are mainly mallards. They hatch their ducklings in nearby fields and lead them through the village to the pond quite unconcerned about the passing traffic. From March 2015, the ducks were replaced by two moorhens who raised some young. The ducks came back in January 2017. In February 2017 the pond was graced by both ducks and moorhens. In 1977 a seat was put beside the pond to commemorate the Queen's Silver Jubilee. The seats by the pond are also clearly convenient for the bus stop. Willersey Parish Council in November 2014 signed an agreement with A E Fisheries to manage the pond including cleaning it of excess reed growth and introducing species of fish which are ecologically balanced. The ducks are being encouraged to return to the pond. In July 2015, dragon flies were skimming over the surface. In this picture from 1963, the edge of the pond is accessible for passing animals to take a drink. There were at the time seven ducks swimming on it and in the background you can see Farm Court before its conversion to housing. The pond has its own source of water from a spring and it rarely overflows. In August 2017 a freshwater habitat trust check showed no signs of nitrates or phosphates. Our pond in Willersey is clean! The outflow from the pond passes through a series of pipes downhill towards the old railway bridge on Badsey Lane. In September 2022 a new island and duck house were added to our pond.
Stone commemorating the year 2000 placed near the duck pond. |
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