Silent Pool
Encyclopedia
Silent Pool is a spring-fed lake at the foot of the North Downs
, approximately 6.5 km (4 mi) east of Guildford
in Surrey. Together with the nearby Newlands Corner
it forms part of the privately owned Albury Estate SSSI managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust
. The outflow from Silent Pool runs into a second lake Sherbourne Pond, created in the mid-seventeenth century. In turn the outflow from the Sherbourne Pond feeds the Sherbourne Brook, a tributary of the River Tillingbourne
.
Silent Pool is considered by some to be a sacred site. It is linked to a folklore
tale that says King John
on his horse abducted a woodcutter’s daughter who was forced into the deep water and drowned. According to the legend, the maiden can be seen at midnight.
The lake was admired by the poet Alfred Tennyson
.
source in the 17 km-long scarp slope
of the North Downs between the Wey
and Mole valleys. It discharges between 1 and 10 Ml per day into Silent Pool and the lake water exhibits a blue opalescence characteristic of chalk spring-fed ponds. In prolonged dry periods, Silent Pool has been known to become dry, although the lower Sherbourne Pond has not. The outflow from Sherbourne Pond is the Sherbourne Stream, a tributary of the River Tillingbourne
.
The Silent Pool lies on Lower Chalk
, observable at the northern end of the pond. Sherbourne Pond lies mainly on Gault Clay
, while its northern end and the stream connecting the two ponds lies on Upper Greensand. Blocks of the Upper Greensand can be found in the stream bed: a pale grey siltstone
which weathers to brown and is harder than the chalk.
when the southern half (lined with clay
and heather
) was added.
times. It has a car park and a viewing platform. A walkway encircles the pool. Silent Pool lies to the south of the North Downs Way
near Albury
.
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
, approximately 6.5 km (4 mi) east of Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
in Surrey. Together with the nearby Newlands Corner
Newlands Corner
Newlands Corner is a summit of the North Downs approximately east of Guildford in Surrey. Together with the nearby Silent Pool it forms part of the privately owned Albury Estate SSSI managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust. There are large areas of chalk grassland and woodlands...
it forms part of the privately owned Albury Estate SSSI managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust
Surrey Wildlife Trust
Surrey Wildlife Trust is a Wildlife Trust in Surrey, a county in South East England. The Trust's vision is for a living landscape in Surreythat is rich in wildlife and valued by all. It is the only organisation in Surrey that cares for all forms of wildlife in the county.Surrey Wildlife Trust is...
. The outflow from Silent Pool runs into a second lake Sherbourne Pond, created in the mid-seventeenth century. In turn the outflow from the Sherbourne Pond feeds the Sherbourne Brook, a tributary of the River Tillingbourne
River Tillingbourne
The River Tillingbourne runs along the south side of the North Downs and joins the River Wey at Guildford. Its source is near Tilling Springs to the north of Leith Hill at and it runs through Friday Street, Abinger Hammer, Gomshall, Shere, Albury, Chilworth and Shalford. The source is a...
.
Silent Pool is considered by some to be a sacred site. It is linked to a folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
tale that says King John
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
on his horse abducted a woodcutter’s daughter who was forced into the deep water and drowned. According to the legend, the maiden can be seen at midnight.
The lake was admired by the poet Alfred Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom during much of Queen Victoria's reign and remains one of the most popular poets in the English language....
.
Geology
The Silent Pool Spring is the only major springSpring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
source in the 17 km-long scarp slope
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
of the North Downs between the Wey
River Wey
The River Wey in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex is a tributary of the River Thames with two separate branches which join at Tilford. The source of the north branch is at Alton, Hampshire and of the south branch at both Blackdown south of Haslemere, and also close to Gibbet Hill, near Hindhead...
and Mole valleys. It discharges between 1 and 10 Ml per day into Silent Pool and the lake water exhibits a blue opalescence characteristic of chalk spring-fed ponds. In prolonged dry periods, Silent Pool has been known to become dry, although the lower Sherbourne Pond has not. The outflow from Sherbourne Pond is the Sherbourne Stream, a tributary of the River Tillingbourne
River Tillingbourne
The River Tillingbourne runs along the south side of the North Downs and joins the River Wey at Guildford. Its source is near Tilling Springs to the north of Leith Hill at and it runs through Friday Street, Abinger Hammer, Gomshall, Shere, Albury, Chilworth and Shalford. The source is a...
.
The Silent Pool lies on Lower Chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
, observable at the northern end of the pond. Sherbourne Pond lies mainly on Gault Clay
Gault Clay
Gault is a clay formation of stiff blue clay deposited in a calm, fairly deep water marine environment during the Lower Cretaceous Period...
, while its northern end and the stream connecting the two ponds lies on Upper Greensand. Blocks of the Upper Greensand can be found in the stream bed: a pale grey siltstone
Siltstone
Siltstone is a sedimentary rock which has a grain size in the silt range, finer than sandstone and coarser than claystones.- Description :As its name implies, it is primarily composed of silt sized particles, defined as grains 1/16 - 1/256 mm or 4 to 8 on the Krumbein phi scale...
which weathers to brown and is harder than the chalk.
Archaeology
A survey of the Silent Pool in 2006 suggested that the southern half of Silent Pool was in fact dug out at the same time as Sherbourne Pond (1662), while the northern half is of geological origin. It appears that this natural half of the pond was made deeper and lined with clayClay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
when the southern half (lined with clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
and heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
) was added.
Access
The pool has been a popular site to visit since VictorianVictorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
times. It has a car park and a viewing platform. A walkway encircles the pool. Silent Pool lies to the south of the North Downs Way
North Downs Way
The North Downs Way is a long-distance path in southern England, opened in 1978. It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Godalming, Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Kent Downs AONB.East of Boughton Lees, the path splits...
near Albury
Albury, Surrey
Albury is a village and civil parish in the borough of Guildford in Surrey, England, about south-east of Guildford town centre. The village is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Site of Special Scientific Interest....
.