Stone Surround To T Shaped Pond

The stone surround to a T-shaped pond, located in Bramham Park, was begun in 1728 and is possibly designed by John Wood the Elder for Robert Benson. The structure features ashlar and earth banks, with only the cross piece of the "T" nearest the house having stone retaining walls that include angled chamfered coping. The longer section of the canal has earth banks with neatly clipped turf, which encourages waterfowl to use this area, unlike the other ponds that are entirely surrounded by stone. This design appears to be an original part of the elaborate geometrical layout that largely remains from Wood's plan of 1725-28. Most of the canal is situated in the civil parish of Bramham cum Oglethorpe, while the section with earth banks lies within the parish of Barwick-in-Elmet. The site is illustrated in G. Lane Fox's guidebook on Bramham Park from 1985 and is mentioned in several notable publications on English gardens and landscapes.