Vinegar Pond
Encyclopedia
Vinegar Pond is located on Mousehold Heath
, Norwich, Norfolk. The pond derives its name from the occasional red algae
bloom–turning the water a vinegar
like colour.
. The vinegar pond is visible on the 1946 aerial photos confirming it was present post World War II
. However, in the first edition of the OS
map (c1900), the area in question is marked as containing gravel pits
.
Alternatively, the pond is believed to have been created in World War II by military manoeuvres involving Bren Gun carriers- their weight compressing the soil and rendering it impervious to water.
and is the only standing water on the heath. It is an important site for breeding frogs and also attracts several species of dragonfly
. In the area of gorse
adjacent to the pond, there is a colony of the Green Hairstreak
butterfly. In the summers of 2006 and 2009 the pond dried up after periods of prolonged drought.
Mousehold Heath
Mousehold Heath is an area of heathland and woodland which lies in north east Norwich, England and a designated Local Nature Reserve . It is now mostly covered by broad-leaf semi-natural woodland, although some areas of heath remain and are actively managed....
, Norwich, Norfolk. The pond derives its name from the occasional red algae
Red algae
The red algae are one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae, and also one of the largest, with about 5,000–6,000 species of mostly multicellular, marine algae, including many notable seaweeds...
bloom–turning the water a vinegar
Vinegar
Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...
like colour.
History
Norfolk County Council has made available historic maps covering NorfolkNorfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. The vinegar pond is visible on the 1946 aerial photos confirming it was present post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. However, in the first edition of the OS
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map (c1900), the area in question is marked as containing gravel pits
Gravel pit
Gravel pit is the term for an open cast working for extraction of gravel. Gravel pits often lie in river valleys where the water table is high, so they may fill naturally with water to form ponds or lakes. Old, abandoned gravel pits are normally used either as nature reserves, or as amenity areas...
.
Alternatively, the pond is believed to have been created in World War II by military manoeuvres involving Bren Gun carriers- their weight compressing the soil and rendering it impervious to water.
Ecology
The pond is a rain fed dew pondDew pond
A dew pond is an artificial pond usually 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. The name dew pond is first found in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society in 1865...
and is the only standing water on the heath. It is an important site for breeding frogs and also attracts several species of dragonfly
Dragonfly
A dragonfly is a winged insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera . It is characterized by large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong transparent wings, and an elongated body...
. In the area of gorse
Gorse
Gorse, furze, furse or whin is a genus of about 20 plant species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia.Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green...
adjacent to the pond, there is a colony of the Green Hairstreak
Green Hairstreak
The Green Hairstreak, Callophrys rubi, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae.Callophrys rubi is found in Europe, North Africa, Russia, Asia Minor, Siberia, Amurland , Baluchistan and Chitral....
butterfly. In the summers of 2006 and 2009 the pond dried up after periods of prolonged drought.