DEW POND

A 'Dew pond' is an artificial pond sited on the top of a hill, intended for watering livestock. Dew ponds are used in areas where a natural supply of surface water may not be readily available.
They are usually shallow, saucer-shaped and lined with puddled clay or marl on an insulating straw layer. The clay is usually covered by a final layer of chalk rubble to protect the lining from the hoofs of cattle. Despite the name, their primary source of water is believed to be rainfall rather than dew or mist.
Dew ponds can still be found on the downlands of southern England and on the North Derbyshire and Staffordshire moorlands. Recently a dew pond was restored on top of Cleeve Hill, above Cheltenham Spa in the Cotswolds, as part of a National Heritage effort.

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External links

External links

★ Dewponds.com - a site dedicated to dew ponds

★ 4to40 article about dew ponds

★ Topline information about Wiltshire dew ponds

★ Article about dew ponds in Ascension Island

★ Guide to constructing dew ponds