13/09/2025
If you wander through the wood, you’ll have seen a few ponds, I’m sure. One of them near the trench works has been called “Tania’s pond” for many years. It’s long been a mystery, but that’s now been solved.
🌿 The Story of Tania’s Pond 🌿
For years, visitors to the Wood would pause at the quiet waters of Tania’s Pond — and quietly wonder: Who was Tania?
A story circulated: that the pond was named for a young local girl who loved the Wood but tragically died of leukaemia when she was just 10. Beyond that, nothing was known.
Then, in April 2023, during a routine clear-up at the old Woodyard, a m ember of the Volunteer Working Party discovered something extraordinary — a discarded, rotting memorial bench… and with it, a metal plaque.
The dates on the plaque sparked a chain of quiet detective work. One volunteer traced the name through Ancestry. Another put out a gentle appeal on Facebook. Through at least one referral, the mystery unlocked: Tania’s brother, Nigel, was found.
Nigel, on behalf of the family, arranged a replacement plaque through the Council. And at some point during that process, a new idea took root — to mount the plaque not on a bench, but on a post.
Easier said than done.
The VWP now had a challenge: finding a timber wide enough to carry the plaque… extracting and preparing a heavy Sweet Chestnut log… and finally installing it deep enough to stand the test of time.
And now, that quiet story has found its voice.
Last week, Nigel and Roberta — Tania’s brother and mother, and Jason, Nigel’s partner — returned to the Wood to reveal the new plaque. The original, found after so many years, was returned to Roberta.
No longer a mystery. Just a memory — lovingly lovingly rediscovered. 💚
The photos (provided by Lyn Smith) show Ken represented the NWS, unveiling the plaque.
