2023     

• CCTV installed on Slipper Mill, following the high levels of antisocial behaviour in 2022

• Annual Dinner held at Emsworth Sailling Club for the first time as the Brookfield Hotel being refurbished

2022

• Concrete Sluice Apron/Outfall repaired at a cost of £2208

• Ownership of Pond transferred to the CIO on 22 April - see THE EMS Newspaper article

• Broomfield Schools Photographic Competition held for first time since 2019 - record number of photos entered.

• Annual Dinner also held.

• After the Sussex Wildlife Trust surveyed the Pond, the LWS Technical Panel reaffirmed the Pond's status as a Local Wildlife Site (LWS)

2021

• First year of operating as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).  Old SMPPA charity no. 277744 closed. 

• Frames and wires installed on all 3 bird rafts to deter the Great Black Backed Gulls from nesting (as voted at the 2020 AGM paper vote).

• Membership drive resulted in 50 new members.

• First full year of income from Dolphin Quay boatyard.

• Pond Owners agreed to gift the Pond to the SMPPA - legal process commenced.

• Work on planting & clearing, mostly in NE and SE corners - sea buckthorn, Rowan, dog rose etc and wildflower seeds planted.

• Summer Party in August and a very successful work party on 9th October, but Annual Dinner cancelled again.

• All signage refreshed and updated.

2020

• New Sluice Gate fitted by Nick Gates, wooden boat builders based at Emsworth Marina at a cost of £8,384.

• Dolphin Quay Footpath gifted to the SMPPA by Mr & Mrs Wardle from Wharf House, King Street, in order that it is not developed - see THE EMS Newspaper article

• March onwards - Coronavirus COVID-19.  Broomfield Schools Photographic competition and all other events cancelled. 

2019

• Footbridge refurbished in February - horizontal posts replaced (previously strengthened in 1993).

• Approval granted to transfer the status of the SMPPA to a CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation, reducing liability for the Trustees).

2017

• Northern bird raft replaced.  Main bird raft re-sited and repaired after breaking free

• Dolphin Quay planning approval given

• Lumley Cottages phase 2 completed

2016

• East Bank strengthening and sleepers placed along Slipper Road

2015

• Lumley Cottages river flood wall stage 1 complete

• East Bank – common reed second spray

• Greater Black Backed Gulls - raft protection removed in the Autumn2014

• Dolphin Quay planning application withdrawn

• Ems flash flood - Christmas

2013

• EA, WSCC, Lumley residents, Brook Meadow and the SMPPA join to form the Lower River Ems Management Group

• Accepted by them that the management of the pond does not cause flooding to upstream property

• Environment Agency take over and replace the sluice at Constant Spring

• Bird raft protection to discourage the Greater Black Backed Gulls

• East Bank common reeds sprayed and posts put in to mark the reed boundary in waterline

2012

• Bird Book released

• Following a generous donation from his Estate, the committee set up the 'Maurice Broomfield Photographic Competition' in his memory.

• Tidal gates replaced

• Ems flash flood - June

• Greater Black Backed Gulls nested and raised chicks on raft

2011

• West bank repairs costing £75,000 completed thanks to grants

2008

• Emsworth Marina silt dredged

2007

• West bank planted with sea club rush

2006

• SMPPA Leaflet prepared and information boards replaced

• Hermitage housing under construction

• Bird flu scare

2005

• SMPPA - stake holder in Environment Agency's Catchment Flood Management Plan

• DEFRA - Flood Management Forward Capital Programme - Westbourne to Emsworth Flood Improvement (HX80370) (Note silt level survey)

• DEFRA - Coastal Defence Strategy - Porchester Creek to Emsworth - (JH60537)

• Arup geotechnical assessment of West bank

2004

• Kissing gates and bike rack installed

• Radar survey of bank - financial help from CHC

• Emergency works to West tide gate outer wall by volunteers - helped again by CHC

• Wave undercut sandbag bank infilled repaired by volunteers with full grant funding from WSCC & CDC

2003

• South-west bank repairs - inside and outside by volunteers

2002

• Sluice - paddle and assembly rebuilt

2001-02

• "Burgess" report discovers Lumley Cottages flooding was fluvial and not a result of the Pond Gates management regime. It was noted that the cottages themselves are low lying and could be swamped by exceptional tides.

2001

• Slipper Road repaired - SMPPA contributes £1,000 for bank strengthening.

2000-03

• Planning application for land alongside Hermitage Brook opposed on grounds of fear of pollution from untreated surface water

1998

• Slipper and Peter Ponds registered "Sites of Nature Conservation Interest" (SNCI)

• ​October - Very high tides together with high flow rates in the Ems valley.  Flooding  - Lumley Cottages affected

1996

• Gate flank walls strengthened

1995

• Wimpey housing development surface water sewer proposal to discharge into pond objected to - rerouted through the Marina 

• Rofe Kennedy & Lapworth report on River Ems

1994

•  Winter Floods

• "Lambert" Report on cracks in the Gates - West Wall - April

1993

• Bank reconstruction

1992

• Bridge Repairs - November

• Work on A259 Bridge not complete

1991

• No movement in Spillway crack - September

• Dolphin Bank breach repaired

• Sluice & gate repaired - October

• West bank repairs with sandbags (BTCV)

1990

• SW Corner repaired with Reno mattress - January

1989

• Hampshire / West Sussex County border moved east so as to be along the west bank footpath - map here

• "Older" Report on pond banks - January

• Footbridge strengthened - summer

1988

• Sluice & outfall repaired

• New A27 dual carriageway bypassing Emsworth opened

• Stakes bridge rebuilt

• Planning application for a block of flats to replace Chequers Garage. This was eventually granted after it had been reduced from 40 to 37 ft in height with a number of restrictions (September)

1986

• Nesting rafts made by Mr Owen Jones  were placed on the pond .... mallard and coot immediately took up residence

1985

• CHC laid gabions along North End of West Bank

1982

• Bank repairs with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers

1980

• Pond purchased by 33 residents for £10,000 (£100 shares) - 8th May. The Pond is managed by "Emsworth Slipper Mill Pond Preservation Association" a registered charity, responsible for the banks, footpath, sluice and tide gates.

• Upper pond (Norton common) now known as "Peter's Pond" after the father of the new owner Mrs. Kinloch Elizabeth Hollis. (Architect)

1979

• Association registered as a charity

1978

• Completion of removal of electrical shop and 3 houses and the widening of the bottom of Hermitage Hill

1977

• Copyright of drawing of gates given to SMPPA by Ken Simkin

• BTCV first visit - 1000 sandbags

• Paul Russell from West Ashling Mill constructed new gates and 'frame' from green oak specially felled by Stanstead Sawmills and delivered by Pat Mann. Forestside farmer.

• British Trust for Conservation Volunteers first visit work on east side of west wall and path 1,000 sandbags, 2 tons cement, 17 cu yds ballast (March)

• 16th November at 1.30pm new gates were officially closed by Chairman Coast & Countryside.  New gates estimate £883 - cost £1,600 when all finished).

1976

• September 10th - Assocn meeting. Gates are leaking so badly that it was proposed that we could either repair the gates or fix them and in effect turn them into a weir. Meeting agreed to have to Gates repaired and working. A fund raising committee formed. Tony Yoward,Ted Gastine, Group Capt David Hughes and Cdr Simon Coney.

• Fund raising Committee formed

• Gates rebuilt by Paul Russell - green oak and old fittings - £159

1974

• July 30th - Inner Relief Road opened.

1973

• Building of Inner Relief Road started and gates left open which increased the scour and built up the bank inside the pond.

• Sluice repaired - £211

1972

• Mill wall breached - repaired by Assocn (£100), WSCC (£550) & CHC (£400)

• July 4th - Meeting to discuss future of Slipper Mill Pond - some of the suggestions made were: Leaving the gates permanently open; Reclaiming the land for other purposes; Using the pond as a marina for 40 boats; For Winter storage of boats; Sailing area for dinghies and children's boats; Extend the southern wall across Dolphin channel with 20ft gates for access in order to save having to repair the western bank; Asbestos sheeting on either side of the western bank and fill with concrete (cost £45 per yd); Progressively sandbag (cost £40 yd)

1971

• April 23rd - Conveyance of the pond from Evelyn Hyacinthe Freke Daily to her daughter June Pamela McNaughton

1970

• Agreed with CHC to flush channel monthly

• October - Gates worked on by Hitchman

​1969

• Dr Russell of Cockle research came to look at pond

• Conveyance to Evelyn Hyacinthe Dailey (Slipper House) from Leigh Thomas & Midland Bank

• October 27th - Lease to Preservation Association for 21 yrs at £1 p.a. Lessees Kenneth William Rawlings, Irene Simmonds, Albert Edgar, Symonds, Peter W. John Messervy. Shrubs to be planted and boundary posts erected on east bank. Assocn membership fee set at £7 PA.

• June 20th Harbour Authority asked for gates to be opened at regular intervals to flush the channel.

1968-9

• Mill Store converted into 4 houses - now called "Slipper Mill"

1967

• Pond offered to SMPPA for £4,000 - could not raise the cash

1966

• Slipper Mill Pond Preservation Association formed in July

• Mill building pulled down by a rope and a Vauxhall car

1963

• Marina construction started

1962

• Deed between Leigh Thomas, Midland Bank and D.R.Sadler (Builders)

1960s

•  Slipper Mill demolished

1959

• Mrs Dalley (owner of Slipper House, no. 2 Slipper Road) leased the pond from Leigh Thomas (Millers) who owned Slipper Mill and the Old Flour Mill,        paying £110 p.a. for 10 years

1942

• Mention in "Secret Sussex" by Hardiman Scott

1940

• Chequers Quay taken over for military use - including splays over pond needed for vehicular access 

1939

• Mill stops working - used for storage

1938

• Chequers Garage site bought by Ben Jones

1936

• Mill working - 2 (3) wheels - Wooden tuns cover the stone floor, Tentering wheel for adjusting stones, Grain came from bin floor above and flour from chute in front

1935

• Purchase of Mill & Pond by Leigh Thomas & Co Ltd - last operators of the mill - from Thomas Gater Bradfield Co Ltd - limited to self-raising flour

​1914

• First sewer excavated across pond

1913

• Ropewalk not working

1912

• Big storm damaged Mill House. Miller's family moved to Round House until Slipper Mill Cottage built by Quinnells (IoW) Ltd

1903

• Stakes bridge rebuilt

​1895

• Sparshott junior Royal Oak Public House (K)

​1894

• Queen Street mill burnt down and rebuilt

1878

• George Albert Tatchell - rope manufacturers - Hermitage

1876

• Frank Burgess born in Roundhouse (Brickyard)

• Miller for 52 years (1918-1972)

1874-82

• John Day junior - millwright - Hermitage

1874-8

• Thomas Bryerly - miller

1874

• OS map shows ropewalk worked by Adolphus Miller - J Tatchell & Son - rope manufacturers - Hermitage

1867-86

• New Slipper Mill - Boney Hatch

1865

• Slipper cottages - date on stone - built by Tatchell for workers

1841

• Roundhouse on map

​1838

• Westbourne Tithe - Executors. of Rev. Lewis Way own Staggs Mill occupied by Thomas Newlyn

1831

• Pigots Hants Directory -  John Cousins & Sons, Slipper Mill

1814

• Queen Victoria is said to have passed over Stakes Bridge at Hermitage at about noon on 25th June, (Dolphin Hill renamed Queen Street?)

1805

• Norton Common enclosed

• Richard Barwell died

• Rev. Lewis Way purchased Stansted

1801

• Bridge built for the Turnpike Trust in 1762

1800

• About this time the Mill Pond level had been raised and the Upper Pond formed, flooding common land containing saw pits etc

1792

• Ropewalk owned by Richard & Stephen Miller

1786

• By this date the lower Mill pond had been built on part of Norton Common 

• Ropewalk shown on map

1785

• Bardwell Map: Estate shows an extensive Slipper Wharf along what is now the Marina Bank; Roundhouse meadow called a brickyard;

1783

• Slipper Mill insured for £500 - premium 35/-

1762

• Turnpiking of Portsmouth to Chichester road

• Stakes Bridge rebuilt

1760

• Mill & tidal pond built by Thomas Hendy on South part of Norton Common at the same time as he enlarged Hendy's Quay & built wharfage at Slipper. This covered the wadeway to Thorney and the route was diverted at the bottom of Sweare Lane (King Street) to run due South.

1724

• Budgen mentions Hermitage bridge

1700s

• Great strides in agriculture, large harvests

• Army garrisons and Navy increased needing more flour

1689

• Picture of road bridge in Ogilby's "Pocket Book of Roads"

1640

• First mention of "Slipper"  (Slype = mud) - referring to a plot of land

1640

• Map by Thomas Kington for Lord Lumley

1570

• Earliest reference to Lord's Mill, Queen Street - Thomas Swyfte, miller (Reger p 109)

1527

• Will of Simon Coates - left an endowment of land, a house and a chapel to allow a hermit to dwell and pray for the souls and maintain the causeway and bridge built by him. No one succeeded him and it is likely that he was one of the last hermits to exist in this country