Baffins is an administrative district of Portsmouth, England, located on the eastern side of Portsea Island. The district is mainly composed of 1930's housing.

Before the area became developed for housing, it had been occupied by a farm of the same name. This farm had a history stretching back to the 12th century. The only surviving remnant of the rural past is Baffins Pond and the surrounding open area located in the centre of the district.

 

Portsea island was for many centuries largely rural in nature. There were many farms though few signs remain today. Baffins Pond was originally part of Baffins Farm.
The Portsmouth Museum and Record Service has uncovered references to Baffins Farm(e) as far back as 1194 AD .

 

 

 1855 map

 

Tenants of Baffins Farm

 

1738

John Moody leased Baffins Farm (200 acres) and Copnor woods (102 Acres) to William Blake.

1764

Leeke family acquire the manors of Portsea and Copnor. By 1764 they had mortgaged Baffins and Copnor farms three times.

1797

Leased by the Leeke family to George Sheldon 106 acres at Baffins.

1798

Split in two 106 acres farmed by William Sheldon, farmhouse and 120 acres & farmed by George Smith

1806

Death of Samual Leeke. His widow Sophia has to sell some of his estate to repay depts. Al though they retained the holding of Baffins it was repeatedly mortgaged.

1806

On lease to Andrew Nance

1838

Andrew Nance was leasing Baffins farm and also Stamshaw farm from Samual Twyford. Nance and his father also owned three post inns in Portsmouth.

1852

A severe fire at Baffins farm saw Andrew Nance loose most of his furniture, although the farmhouse survived.

1867

Andrew Nance junior held the lease

1879

George Harvey

?

William Hill

Excert from the Corporation records: "Another good deed by the corporation was the provision of a new park at Baffins, which was opened with befitting ceremony on May 8th. Up to that time Baffins had seemed far remote from the life of the inhabitants, except during times of heavy frost, when it was the correct thing to skate on Baffins pond.

Bought by Morey and Adams and farmed in partnership.

A determined campaign in the 1930's saved Baffins pond from building development. The evening news of April 20th 1934, reported that a deputation of the Copnor Ratepayers Association had waited upon the Estates. Houses and Sites Sub-Committee of the Corporation urging them to take action in the hope of saving the pond. "The Council should not let the opportunity pass to enhance the health and pleasure value of the district by preserving a beauty spot," they said.
But commercial pressure to develop the land right up to the water's edge continued, and it was not until 1938 that the vital decision to save the pond was made, thanks to campaigning by local people and councilor J.A.Griffiths, and the generosity of the owners, growers Morey and Flowers.

The Mayor also favored saving the pond and warned that the only alternative was to pass plans previously submitted for building all round the site and enclosing the pond. The owners pointed out that the amount they would have received for the sale of the building plots around the sides of the pond was not less than £8,500, but having regard to the fact that the local authority desired to keep the whole as an open space, they were prepared to sell the whole site to the corporation for £5,500, "subject to the Corporation undertaking to preserve the site as an open space and not to erect any buildings thereon, except pavilions or similar buildings used in connection with recreation grounds."

 

Baffins farmhouse circa 1930's
The farmhouse once stood where the sports court is now situated, and if you look closely some evidence of the foundations still remain today.

 

Source of the Pond

Baffins Pond is a natural pond which is fed from underground springs from the local water table. The area around Baffins was very marshy and with large areas of land used to produce salt, several small streams also fed into the Pond. At least one of these small streams continued on to feed into the pond at Tamworth Park.
Over the years because the underground springs contain a lot of fine silt and the small streams have dried up, Baffin's Pond is continually silting up.

The task of de-silting Baffins Pond was last undertaken back in the late 1980's. This is a very costly and time consuming exercise.

 

 

In 1992 the University of Portsmouth drilled two 10 meter deep bore holes to study the local water table. Thier investigations showed that,

The level of water in the pond is determined by the level of the local water table, as the pond is fed by underground springs from the local water table.The water from the underground springs contains a lot of very fine silt, which over many years leads to the pond silting up.

The local water table level can drop significantly in the summer and in periods of low rainfall. In such conditions the water level of the pond can drop.

In order to achieve a healthy pond an alternative source of clean water was required. A deep water well was drilled 100 meters below ground into the chalk to be able to provide a reliable source of clean water. This is used to top-up the water level during the summer, and will also allow excess silt from the underground springs to be flushed out via the pond overflow.

 

Baffins Pond is  4.35 hectare area home to a host of wild fowl and ducks and established reed beds in the pond area...

The pond’s main attraction is the large number of ducks and other wild fowl that people of all ages come to feed. These visitors are asked only feed the birds grain - it is essential for the well-being of the birds and to maintain a healthy pond

There are established reed beds and other water plants helping to create a diverse habitat to encourage a wider range of flora and fauna. These areas have in the past couple of years been increased (see plan above) with the help of a grant .a total of 15000 water margin plants were added using 21 different species here are those latin name followed by common name

1 Phragmites australis - Norfolk Reed

2 carex acutiformis - lesser pond sedge

3 phalaris arundinacea - reed canary grass

4 Iris pseudacorus - Yellow Flag Iris

5 carex paniculata - great tussock sedge

6 deschampsia cespitosa - tufted hair grass

7 Juncus Effusus - Soft Rush

8 Butomus umbellatus - flowering rush

9 lythrum salicaria - purple loosestrife

10 scrophularia aquatica - water figwort

11 rumex hyrolapathum - great water dock

12 metha aquatica - water mint

13 pulicaria dysenterica - common flea bane

14 eupatorium cannabinum - hemp agrimony

15 myosotis scorpioides - water forget me not

16 filipendula ulmaria - meadow sweet

17 apium nodiflorum water plantain - fools Water-Cress

18 valeriana officinalis - common valarian

19 lychnis floscuculi - ragged robin

20 caltha palustris - marsh marigold

21 menyanthes trifoliate - bog bean

 

The area is maintained by contractors working on behalf of Portsmouth City council, The Hilsea Lines ranger & the Community Wardens

There is a large play area with equipment for all ages a sand pit.  Play panels, a sand table and disabled swing seat. The site has recently been upgraded by the path finders project to include risky play equipment.

 Close to the play area is a ball-court with basketball and 5-a-side goals and the grassed field also has 5-a-side goals. To the west of the pond is a large field which is used by many locals to walk their dogs and is a great meeting place for these people. At the far western end of this is a designated area used during the summer as a softball games area and closed during the winter months for a Brent geese sanctuary.

A small copse is located to the south of the play area where squirrels play and in which children often join them it is also the site of some spring bulbs planted by local school children.

An old compound has been transformed into a base for Baffins Pond Association which is run completely by volunteers and supported by the city council.

The Baffins Pond Association was formed through one local residents determination and love for his community pond, which had suffered years of neglect and vandalism.

This person became well known in the community as he strived to archive the impossible and to improve the surroundings and the environment of his community.
George Benham, who lived, overlooking the pond one day felt that he had had enough of the run down state of the largest natural pond in Portsmouth. George initially gathered a group of teenage boys who undertook the huge task of cleaning up this wonderful inner city site.

As this exciting project progressed more and more people of all ages began to become involved.
Part of the work included improving the islands for the wildlife, stocking of oxygenating plants to improve the water quality and finally, the planting of new trees and shrubs and landscaping of the site.
This work of the group changed the future of the pond and with it a guarantee from Portsmouth City Council that the pond will no longer be left to rot.
During this period the group used the site of the former sewage pump house located at Baffins Pond as their base. At the end of the project, George had got the conservation bug. The council allowed the group to formally use the pump house facility with the condition that it continues to meet its aims and now work in partnership with the council .

Through various grants from English Nature, Shell, Whitbread, Barclays,Hampshire County Council and Portsmouth City Council, through the winter of 1994/1995 George and his team set about on another project transforming the pump house site into a stunning community focal point incorporating a Community garden and Nature Study Centre with the Motto "an oasis in an urban jungle". It’s from here that the group continues to bring environment awareness to the community.

 

The Association involves the local community in organised events and projects.  These include fun environmental days Easter egg hunt conker bash(both of which normally attract over 100 participants) A Santa’s grotto is built for the Christmas event with a spectacular display of lights and for the last two years it has attracted over 300 visitors each year. Litter picks over the whole of the area and pond clearances both are well supported by local businesses and residents. The Association also open each Saturday from 12 midday until 4pm serving hot and cold drinks and where volunteers carry out garden maintenance to the community garden and various other tasks to keep the compound in good condition.

It is the long term plan to turn the old pump house into a state of the art study centre and hopefully a energy efficient area with solar and wind power  for schools and any other interested parties and to open the compound from the end of April though to the end of September. Currently they have managed to open during the schools summer break