MIDDLETON ON THE WOLDS HERITAGE

VILLAGE POND

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Did the pond used to be larger?

The focal point at the centre of village life is the pond. Originally, the pond extended far out into the road, and if people were waiting for a bus they were likely to have their feet splashed!

A black and white historical photograph showing two adult mute swans swimming with their young cygnets on the open water of the village pond, with local residents standing on the far bank next to a brick outbuilding.
A vintage view of mute swans and cygnets swimming on the village pond.

Village Pond Photo 1925 – Source unknown

A black and white historical postcard showing the main village junction and pond in Middleton on the Wolds, featuring election posters on a brick wall and the Robin Hood Inn visible down the street.
A vintage postcard view of the village junction and pond, featuring election posters on the central wall.

Source unknown, Dates unknown – if you know contact the Green Group

People would come into the village for water, including travelling families who rested their horses there. It must have been a peaceful scene before any road traffic arrived.

Source unknown, Dates unknown – if you know contact the Green Group

An archival black and white photograph from circa 1940 showing traditional horse-drawn vardo caravans gathered next to the water at the Middleton on the Wolds village pond, with St Andrew’s Church rising in the background.
Historical scene by the village pond, circa 1940, featuring traditional horse-drawn caravans with St Andrew’s Church in the background.
A black and white historical photograph showing a vintage motorised fire engine parked at the edge of the village pond in Middleton on the Wolds, surrounded by a large crowd of local children and residents.
A vintage fire engine drawing water or being demonstrated at the edge of the village pond.
A black and white historical postcard showing ducks swimming in the foreground pond at Middleton-on-the-Wolds, with a steam lorry pulling a trailer and a delivery van parked near St Andrew's Church in the background.
A historic view of the village pond featuring vintage commercial vehicles and St Andrew’s Church.
A sepia-toned historical postcard showing swans swimming in the village pond, with Quackers house on the left, the old vicarage or doctor's house in the background, St Andrew's Church on the hill, and the local pub operating under The Hull Brewery Company Ltd signage.
A historic postcard of the village pond showing Quackers house, the old vicarage, and the local pub as a Hull Brewery house.
A sepia-toned historical postcard looking up the road from the pond side in Middleton on the Wolds, featuring a smoking steam traction engine or lorry with a trailer turning at the village junction.
An early 20th-century postcard view of the village street and pond side junction featuring a working steam lorry.

Source unknown, Dates unknown – if you know contact the Green Group

Access to clean water?

In the past, having a clean water supply was vital to the villages of the wolds. A pond provided water for farmers and others. The village did not get its own piped water supply until 1932. Before this time there were wells in various parts of the village, if you know where, please get in touch.

One pump was located at the top of Front Street but is no longer present.

A black and white historical photograph looking up Front Street from the Market Weighton end toward St Andrew's Church, featuring traditional brick cottages on both sides and a stone village pump basin in the lower-right foreground.
An early 20th-century view looking down Front Street from the Market Weighton approach toward the church.

We do know there was a private well at The Rectory as it was used as drinking water for the whole village during the First World War due to the fear of contamination!

There is a the remains of a pump set into the wall on the north side of Church HIll. There were 4 pumps in total, including at The Rose and Crown Pub and the old Methodist chapel.

A close-up photograph of the historic cast iron village pump structure housed within a brick alcove behind protective iron railings on Front Street.
The historic village water pump located on Front Street opposite Soanes.


It wasn’t until 1953, the year of the coronation, that the pondside was resealed, the side near the road was grassed and three seats provided. The seats are still maintained today, often providing a resting place for passing cycling enthusiasts. In 1960, further restoration was undertaken by villagers Harry Sims and Billy Thompson. In recent years the area has been maintained by the Green Group Volunteers.

We were told a fabulous story about her father, Guy Crosby, by Hazel Kazer, who still lives in the village. “My father played football for Driffield. He told me that when Middleton on the Wolds lost, they would throw the opposition in the pond!”

A near disaster was averted a couple of years ago when the pond became contaminated with domestic heating oil. The Green Group and Yorkshire Water acted swiftly, although several ducks had to be evacuated for their own safety. Please keep an eye on the water quality, you can contact The Green Group through our website. Help us to protect this historic and valued site.

Written by K. Kaye

May 2025

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