Late 19th century decoy pond, 'Old Hall Decoy No.2' (or 'Teal Pond'), 260m south of Pennyhole Fleet, Old Hall Marshes (EHER 16282)

A square decoy pond situated in the south east corner of Old Hall Marshes, a promontory reclaimed from marshland. The decoy includes a square pond defined by a bank on all four sides, with four channels or pipes cutting through the bank and radiating off from each corner. The pond is 30 metres square and the pipes are 30-40 metres long. Both pond and pipes are now dry. The surviving banks are some 8 metres across and 2 metres high. The pond itself is a fairly shallow feature, being only 1 metre to 1.5 metres deep. Documentary references describe this decoy as a 'teal pond' specifically for catching teal, although other birds were caught. Scheduled.

A square decoy pond (around 40 metres in breadth) with a pipe extending from each corner. Two of the pipes eventually connect with former creeks. A slight bank is visible around the main pond, the site surviving as a slight earthwork, although detail is gained from variation in vegetation. The site does not appear on the Chapman and Andre map (1777) or the OS 1st edition 6" series. <1> <2> The decoy is not represented on the first edition Ordnance Survey map, it is however depicted as a square pool on the 1897 Ordnance Survey, and with the southern and eastern pipes on the 1925 edition. <3> <4> See aerial photographs <5> <6> and cropmark plot <7>. Old Hall Decoy (No.2) is placed one mile east from Old Hall Decoy No.1 (EHER 11560) and in the same marshes. Christy, who inspected it in June, 1888, with E. A. Fitch, describes it as a small square pond with four pipes, which had formerly been used for taking Teal, but it had not been in use for many years. <8> Miller Christy visited the decoy in 1888 which at this point had become disused. <9> 1998. Site visit. Square decoy pond situated in the south east corner of Old Hall Marshes, a promontory of reclaimed marshland. The decoy is some 500m to the north of the sea wall at Tollesbury Fleet and some 150m south of Pennyhole Fleet. The decoy includes a square pond defined by a bank on all four sides, with four channels or pipes cutting through the bank and radiation off from each corner. The pond is approximately 30m square and the pipes are 30-40m long. Both pond and pipes are now dry. The surviving banks are some 8m across and 2m high. The pond itself is a fairly shallow feature, being only 1 to 1.5m deep. Documentary reference describes this decoy as a 'teal pond' specifically for catching teal, although other birds were also caught. Its precise date of construction is not documented; but was certainly in use in the mid-nineteenth century. By 1888 the decoy had not been in use for many years. <10> Site Assessment: This decoy pond at Old Hall Marshes is a fine example of a square four-piped decoy, specifically designed to catch teal. It is the only example of its kind in the country. It is one of two decoys on Old Hall Marshes and may have worked in tandem with the larger unspecialised decoy some 400m to its north; or alternatively, one may be later than the other, perhaps reflecting the progress of land reclamation. Although not water-filled the pond and surrounding banks and pipes survive well enabling us to envisage how it operated. Decoys were important features of the Essex marshland landscape and made a significant contribution to the marshland economy during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The construction of banks and silting of channels will have sealed deposits which will include artefactual evidence regarding the use of the decoy and environmental evidence regarding the appearance of the marshland at the time of construction. <10> 1999. Field Survey. Survey conducted. This decoy, visible as an earthwork was recorded by English Heritage (Cambridge Office) during analytical survey in September 1999. See archive survey plan at 1:1000 scale and archive survey report. This decoy is known by the names 'Old Decoy' or 'Teal Pond'. <11> See photos <12> - <16>. September 1999. Scheduled Ancient Monument. A square decoy pond situated in the south east corner of Old Hall Marshes, a promontory reclaimed from marshland. The decoy includes a square pond defined by a bank on all four sides, with four channels or pipes cutting through the bank and radiating off from each corner. The pond is 30 metres square and the pipes are 30-40 metres long. Both pond and pipes are now dry. The surviving banks are some 8 metres across and 2 metres high. The pond itself is a fairly shallow feature, being only 1 metre to 1.5 metres deep. Documentary references describe this decoy as a 'teal pond' specifically for catching teal, although other birds were caught. Scheduled. <17> See also <18> <19>. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. Note: See EHER 11560, EHER 48749 and EHER 82214 for other decoy ponds on Old Hall Marshes.