Fish Tales

Frensham Great and Little Ponds may look natural, but they are medieval creations — and their history is closely connected with the Bishops of Winchester and Farnham Castle.

Frensham Ponds were originally created in the 13th century to supply fish to the Bishop of Winchester

In the 13th century, The Church forbade the eating of meat on Fridays and Saturdays during Lent and on numerous other fast days — amounting, by some estimates, to around 150 meat-free days each year.

Freshwater fish were expensive, difficult to transport and, without refrigeration, generally had to be eaten within hours of being caught. For monasteries, castles and great houses, the solution was to create their own artificial fishponds: essentially medieval fish farms. Those who owned fishponds had the important advantage of being assured a regular and reliable supply of fresh fish unaffected by seasonal and other vagaries. The construction and maintenance of private fishponds required a high level of investment that was available only to a wealthy minority. 

During the Middle Ages, artificial fish ponds were complex water-management systems built by royalty, nobility, and monasteries to supply a steady source of fresh fish.

And it is  William de Raleigh, initially made Bishop of Winchester on 1st September 1242 whom we have to thank for two very important legacies; namely that he granted Farnham its first Borough charter which freed the townspeople from their feudal dues to their Lord of the Manor i.e. the Bishop of Winchester. This encouraged greater entrepreneurship amongst the townsfolk as the fruits of their labours now went directly to them rather than the Bishop in his castle. Secondly, and the subject of this blog - Frensham Little Pond. The Great Pond was already in existence by 1210–11, and may have incorporated a much older natural mere. The Little Pond, once known as Crowsfoot, is traditionally dated to around 1246. The ponds could supply fish such as bream, pike and eels. (Despite a frequently repeated story that the Frensham ponds were created principally for carp, carp appear not to have become established in England until considerably later.)

Some medieval fishponds were vast enough to require boats. Smaller, shallower ponds, known as stews, could be used to keep fish alive until they were required for the kitchen. Fish might occasionally be transported wrapped in wet grass or straw, or alive in water-filled, canvas-lined barrels, but distance made fresh fish a luxury. Presumably the ponds at Frensham were close enough to Farnham Castle to allow fresh fish to be transported and eaten on the same day as we aren’t aware of any stew ponds in the immediate vicinity of the Castle. 

And fish itself carried status. By the Middle Ages, particular species had become prestigious foods for bishops, monasteries, aristocratic households and the royal court. A large complex of managed fishponds was therefore not simply a practical food supply: it was also evidence of wealth and power.

Those few who could afford it had fresh fish whenever possible; it was a status symbol to be able to do so.

There was another reason for their increasing importance. From the 13th century, river fish stocks appear to have been under growing pressure. Fish weirs, growing population (a century before the Black Death killed so much of England’s population), increasing exploitation and the proliferation of watermills and their dams interfered with waterways and spawning grounds, making managed ponds an increasingly valuable source of freshwater fish.

So there we have it. The Bishops of Winchester's influence was spread far and wide. We are still enjoying their vision and endeavours hundreds of years later. Today Frensham Little Pond is a popular beauty spot managed by the National Trust. If you're not familiar with the area we can recommend Frensham Little Pond as part of your visit to Farnham Castle! Details here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/surrey/frensham-little-pond