Bay Pond

Bay Pond is a 7-hectare nature reserve near Godstone in Surrey. It belongs to the Godstone Ponds Site of Special Scientific Interest and is looked after by the Surrey Wildlife Trust. No public paths cross the reserve, so it serves mainly as an educational site. Four ponds lie within its boundaries, the largest thought to date from 1611 when it held water for a local mill. Wildflower meadows surround the water and a mature alder swamp lines one side. The reserve is important for wildlife, especially butterflies. Gatekeepers, ringlets, small skippers and orange tips have all been recorded here. These species rely on the damp grassland and the alder trees that grow beside the ponds. The Trust uses the site to teach people about wetland conservation and the plants and insects that live in it. Visitors cannot walk through the reserve itself, but the Trust sometimes opens it for guided tours. From the boundary paths around the site, people can watch dragonflies over the water and listen to warblers in the alder swamp. The wildflower meadows add colour in summer, while the ponds reflect the surrounding woodland in every season.