Other Locations
Names, links and information about the various localities within the study area
The Birch Well, Snaresbrook
The Birch Well, Snaresbrook in February 2002. The green stone in the foreground is a boundary marker.
The Birch Well is situated on Leyton Flats in a Birch Wood near to the boundary fence of Snaresbrook Crown Court. It is not far from the Eagle Pond, and is now a stone-edged pool about 1.5 metres long and somewhat oval in shape.
Though apparently little known and easily overlooked now, it was once perhaps the most important of the public wells that supplied Wanstead with its drinking water. Most of these have been long forgotten, though there are still some remnants of the private wells that the more wealthy inhabitants of the village once used.
Birch Well was used for drinking water only - it was once said by an elderly inhabitant of the area that "no water was ever as fresh, cool, sparkling and reviving as that which was drawn from Wanstead's well."
When in use, it was apparently in the form of something of a large square gravel pit with wooden steps and stagings, with a bucket and a barrel. Even after the well was given a brick surround, there was still at least one drowning attributed to the site!
People who lived outside of the parish boundary also used the well, but they were charged at the rate of a penny for three buckets or 1/6d for a buttful.
(This information derived from "Wanstead through the ages" by Winifred Eastment, Dawn Press, 1946)
The Eagle Pond
The Eagle Pond, Snaresbrook, viewed from Snaresbrook Road and showing some of the large numbers of water-birds - particularly swans - that may be present. (January 2002)
The Eagle Pond is situated in the extreme north-west corner of Leyton Flats, bounded by a woodland area of the Flats on the west, the pavement of Snaresbrook Road on the north, and the grounds of Snaresbrook Crown Court on the south. The east end is also in the grounds of the court, and is in fact an embankment which forms a dam to hold the waters of the lake. From Snaresbrook Road there is an attractive and easy view of the numerous wildfowl that visit and inhabit the lake. Many visitors are surprised at the numbers of swans that may be present. This is in part due to the fact that the Swan Rescue organisation of Egham in Surrey have released onto this lake some of the swans cared for after injury. Anglers once fished the waters, but this has now ceased. The lake is fed to some extent by streams flowing into its western end from Gilbert's Slade to the north-west. Its overflow is from the dam on the eastern end, with an open channel soon depositing the water underground whence it flows to the River Roding.
In March 2002 the pond was de-silted by the Conservators of Epping Forest. The willow branch hanging into the water seen in the photograph above - taken in January 2002 - was removed. Barry Hughes of Snaresbrook Road pointed out that this had also resulted in the loss of a regular nesting site for coots. He also observed that the de-silting, having deepened the eastern end of the lake, could result in strong wind-borne waves breaking against and possibly - as climate change predicts increasing wind problems - breaking over the dam. He has identified also that the western end of the lake - by Leyton Flats - once had wharfing to protect the lake's boundaries. These are still visible below the usual water level. The resulting erosion is such that the lake is somewhat longer than it used to be, with even a large oak tree being cut around by the water. He has suggested that the wharfing be re-instated and the eroded bank be built up with silt from the lake in order to provide a contact by children with the lake and its waterfowl away from Snaresbrook Road.