Restoration work on our Egham Campus' Victorian Jane Holloway Pond and dam

Jane Holloway pond, located on the edge of Canada Copse, dates back to the late-1800s and was once linked to the former swimming pool at Jane Holloway Hall.

Over a number of decades, the 2.5m deep pond, its Victorian dam, and a number of original clay pipes that drain into it, had almost entirely filled with silt and organic matter – reducing it’s water storage capacity and minimising it’s value as a habitat.

Over the last few months, colleagues from Estates and the School of Life Sciences and the Environment led a restorative project to desilt the pond and fix the dam’s sluice valve, which will allow water and debris to flow from the bottom and prevent any future build-up.

Staff and students will help monitor the water quality and test the extracted silt and the gardening team are now able to stock the now-deeper water with minnow to create a feeding pond for the kingfishers that visit the campus.