History of Farm Pool by Jason Webb
Farm Pool is a small mature pool situated between Foggs Lane and Knutsford Road in the pleasant surroundings of the Cheshire countryside. It is a small peaceful place and if you’re looking for tranquil surroundings with a great day’s fishing then you won’t go far wrong. It is stocked with plenty of silver fish and small Perch, tench to 4lb and a few Chub. Carp to around 15lb’s have been caught and it is also home to Lymm A.C’s record Perch which weighed in at just over 4lb although it has eluded captors for several years now. On previous nettings eels in excess of 5lb’s have also been netted.
The pool has been around for a long time, a lot longer than most people think… Several stories have circulated that it was created by a land mine explosion during World War II, but unfortunately this story has no truth.
The exact origin of this little old pool is unsure, but researching through the archives of old land maps supplied by Cheshire council, Farm pool can be traced back to the Tithe and land apportionment mapping Act of 1836. It was a lot different back then with two pools on the same field. As shown on the map below. The owner of the land was a Sir Edward Antrobus and he leased this field along with Antrobus Farm and some surrounding fields to a James Webster. Farm Pool field was just used as Meadow and Pasture land with some of the surrounding fields used to grow Oats and Wheat. The second pond was part of a drainage system but now there is very little evidence to show it was once there.
Tithe Map dated 1846 supplied by Cheshire Council is the oldest map currently available showing both Farm Pool and the drainage pool.
A map from 1910 below shows both pools still on the same site. The date the drainage pool dried up is currently unknown.
Aerial photograph’s of the area taken around 1970 show only Farm Pool on the site.
There appears to be only one island on Farm Pool at this point and not quite where the two islands are today…
This little pool has been around for a long time. Please respect it and its surroundings when you visit it. Always close the gate after you and enjoy the mystery of the place like the many people before you have.
Written by Jason Webb (Mancman) on 13/09/2009 with the help of Cheshire Council and old-maps.co.uk.