How many times as a child have you dreamed of finding treasure in a hole you had dug? Imagining you were a lost explorer about to discover the greatest haul mankind has ever dug up? 
Throughout the month of August, Wensum Farmers have been doing just that. 

Digging through the soil horizons to that hidden Black Gold beneath, telling us a tale of the previous land custodians. How they dug down by hand to find the marl to spread on their fields as a form of lime, thereby creating a freshwater oasis for aquatic plants and invertebrates alike.
 These ghost ponds can be found on old tithe maps dating back to the 1800s and speak to us about the history of the landscape we farm. 
It’s an honour to be able to resurrect these important habitats and it has been amazing to see the farmer enthusiasm and investment in this project. Having visitors from neighbouring farms coming to see what is going on, along with farming children and the local gamekeepers, goes to show how much the custodians care about the land they work on. 
In just one year we will see these raw looking holes develop into beautiful aquatic sanctuaries – watch this space for regular updates! 

A big thank you to Dr Carl Sayer, the Norfolk Ponds Project, Charlie Patel and Anglian Water for getting this project off the ground (or into it!).