Immediately south of Parkwood Hospital is Westminster Ponds, a large area of forest enclosing three large ponds. A short distance to the southeast are two more ponds known as Pond Mills. These are all kettle lakes, depressions left in the Ingersoll Moraine by the last glaciation, and today they are all protected public land.
There is a long history of the ponds as a favourite haunt of local naturalists, especially the famous W.E.Saunders who was heavily involved in several conservation organizations in the early part of the last century. It's the remarkable diversity of plants that accounts for the interest. And the ponds are surrounded by a variety of walking trails. They are in remarkably natural condition too.
Their history last century was not always oriented to protection. The city had a landfill nearby that it wanted to expand, the hospital lands have changed over time, and subdivisions were encroaching. Starting in 1943 the development of facilities for veterans became a major influence, including the village described in the previous post.
The area becamepart of th city in 1961 and subdivisions were expanding. An activist with the local field naturalists club led a campaign to see the area protected starting in the late sixties. It was a time when I was doing my first degree here at Western, so I was well aware of the campaign.
Over the nearly 50 years since there have been a number of studies of the area, and designations have changec as the city adopted an environmentally sensitive are policy, tightening protectionfor the area. The Westminster Ponds are a big highlight among the natural areas of London.
If you check google maps, and choose the satellite view you can see a great aerial image of the ponds and hospital. The 'Westminster Ponds/Pond MillsMaster Plan Update 2005' provides a very detailed ecological description and history.
The ponds sound lovely, a pretty sighting near the hospital. Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteLove to hear stories of preservation. We need more of it.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to read about the Westminster Ponds, it does sound a very nice area.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Very good that they are protected.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to have such natural areas right in close proximity to London. I enjoy your posts about the area where you are recovering. :-)
ReplyDeleteI had a virtual walk around, and what a huge complex Parkwood is. I see some large homes there with large areas of trees and grass, what a wonderful area to have in such a huge busy city. Across the world, with Google Earth, and I see where you are and what you wrote about today.The wonder of the internet is so valuable for each of us. Have a fine sunny day, we have rain, and snow is expected down south to a low 200m asl .That means the farm will get some, and roads might be closed.
ReplyDeleteHopped into my open cockpit Google Earth plane this morning and flew on down around the Westminster Ponds. I remember the big pond when I was there and I might have walked through the trees to the east pond but can't remember if I saw that south pond or not. I remember how thrilled I was driving back there from the hospital area one day. It was a true Oasis of serenity in a sea of hustle and bustle urban sprawl. I think they should dedicate a marvelous visible tribute on the grounds to the people responsible for saving that area years ago.
ReplyDeleteCool that you can get out to this area from the hospital.
ReplyDeleteHow fortunate that far-sighted people managed to keep the ponds and their surroundings as natural as possible. A botanically significant kettle-hole bog on private land north of here was mined for peat 50-60 years ago, there's still a floating mat but much of the significant vegetation has been lost.
ReplyDeleteI must check that out on google maps and street view, do many people from the hospital get out for a few hours to enjoy it too?
ReplyDeleteWestminster Ponds is certainly well known in the city of London and surrounding areas. The nature trails are beautiful and just that, full of untouched nature.
ReplyDeleteIt is great that it is so near the hospital too.
Yeah for natural area and the plants and the critters that live there:)
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting hearing about the history of a place!
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