SLIPPER MILL POND PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION - SMPPA
Managed by Volunteers for the Benefit of the Community & Wildlife
Our Pond - a Haven for Wildlife in Emsworth
Welcome to the Slipper Mill Pond Preservation Association (SMPPA). We are a registered charity which exists to preserve and protect the Slipper Mill Pond in the parish of Southbourne on the eastern edge of Emsworth. The SMPPA was founded in 1966 and is made up of volunteers, Members and Friends of the SMPPA who are responsible for the Pond's day to day management and maintenance.
The Pond is a saline lagoon, a very rare wildlife habitat, both in the UK and Europe. The combination of sea and fresh water provides a unique brackish water environment; it has been recognised as a Local Wildlife Site and 'Site of Nature Conservation Importance' and home to many special species. It is inside the Chichester Harbour National Landscape (formerly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or AoNB) and is part of the proposed Strategic Wildlife Corridor from Hermitage to Westbourne. The tidal gates and sluice are listed on the Southbourne Neighbourhood Parish Plan as important "Heritage Assets".
The Pond supports a rich invertebrate fauna including two protected species - the Tentacled Lagoon Worm and Starlet Sea Anemone. It also has an interesting species of tube worm, which leaves tube-like casts, along with over 40 bird and 160 plant species, and several fish, particularly the grey mullet, which can be present in large numbers.
The pond covers an area of around 7 acres (3 hectares) and was built in the 1760s to provide power to drive the Slipper Mill, one of four working mills in Emsworth supplying meal for the Navy in Portsmouth. The tidal gates are pushed open as the sea breaks over the gates, and close as the tide turns, holding back the sea water which, in the past, powered the Mill.
The mill was in constant use until the 1960s when it was sold. The Pond itself was bought by 33 local residents in 1980 off the then owners Slipper House, in order to prevent the Pond from being developed. In April 2022 the Pond was gifted to the SMPPA who now owns and continues to manage the Pond. The article in THE EMS newspaper explains the background in more detail.
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The Pond is a designated Local Wildlife Site and is privately owned by the SMPPA Charity. SWIMMING IN THE POND AND BOATING OF ANY KIND IS NOT ALLOWED. Anyone doing so will be asked to move along.
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We request that you DO NOT CLIMB ON OR JUMP FROM THE FOOTBRIDGE AND SURROUNDING INFRASTRUCTURE as these are important historic Heritage assets and are not designed for this purpose.
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FISHING - our fishing policy can be found on signs around the Pond, and also on our Fish, Bats & Mammals page
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Useful contact numbers for Police, Reporting Wildlife in Distress, Pollution etc can be found here and also on our notice board on Slipper Mill
News
Tidal Gate Opening Dates - Pond Draining
In general, we chain back the tidal gates to drain the Pond over spring tides in the winter months (late September-February inclusive). If there are high water levels up river, this is particularly helpful to get rid of any silt. It also enables up-stream valves and culverts to be cleared or serviced (eg on Peter Pond), and allows access to inspect the sluice and gates. It is also a good opportunity to remove litter, and carry out any repairs or work that needs doing on the water's edge.
We are now chaining back the gates for longer periods at the request of the Chalk Stream Rivers Project. By leaving the Slipper Mill Pond tidal gates open for longer, there is more time and opportunity for the fish, particularly trout and eels, to swim from the sea into the Pond, and from there make their way up the River Ems to spawn (these fish spawn from November to February). Research carried out elsewhere by a company called FishTek found that one gate held open for just 25 minutes longer resulted in a ten-fold increase in the number of elvers moving upstream through the tidal gate.
More details at www.wildtrout.org/content/trout-lifecycle and www.wsrt.org.uk/our-rivers/the-river-ems
We try to avoid draining the Pond from late February through early September due to the need to protect the wildlife during the breeding season. We therefore only chain open the gates in the spring or summer when we consider it to be an "emergency" situation.
A link to the Westbourne Gauge historic river level data is here.
How you can Help....... We are looking for..............
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Individuals or organisations to do Wildlife monitoring / Studies. We are a Local Wildlife Site, Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI) and part of the Chichester District Council Strategic Wildlife Corridor.
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Spread the word! Join the SMPPA! New Members are always welcome.
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Any advice and professional assistance on planting for wildlife, civil engineering surveys, legal assistance etc.
The next event is the summer garden party, to be held on Sunday 27th July subject to weather.
The AGM was held on 13th March 2025.
The Annual Dinner, our main fundraising event, was held on 27th November 2024 at Emsworth Sailing Club. This event is very popular and tickets sold out within a week. 74 of you came along and enjoyed a delicious dinner and entertainment. We are most grateful for the support of our members.
More details on future events and dates can be found on our events page.
Our latest (January 2025) newsletter is available here.
A link to The EMS newspaper article about the Pond ownership transfer can be found here.
Other Newsletters are available on our newsletters page, along with a summary prepared by Nick Madinaveitia outlining many of the highlights of his 15 years as Chairman.
In addition we have wildlife books, notelets and postcards available to purchase here.
Judging for the 2025 Broomfield Schools Photographic Competition is now complete and the results are out! We had some terrific entries from the 6 local schools that participate - the prizewinning photos can be found here.
The prizegiving was held on Friday 2nd May. ALL photographs entered were then on display at the Community Centre as part of the Emsworth Arts Trail over the first May Bank Holiday weekend, with the 8 winning photos on show afterwards at the Emsworth Co-op.
All entrants receive a mounted copy of their photographs.
Volunteers and friends are always welcome....
If you would like to support the work done by the SMPPA in preserving the Slipper Mill Pond, why not become a Member? Full Membership (for households close to the Pond) is £20 per annum, and Friends / Well wishers £10.
More information on our Membership page.