A Dew pond is a man-made pond placed on the top of hills, built for watering livestock. Dew Ponds or troughs are used in areas where a natural supply of surface water may not be readily available.
They are usually shallow, saucer-shaped and lined with puddled chalk or clay. The clay is then usually covered by a layer of chalk rubble to protect the lining from the hooves of cattle. Despite the name, their primary source of water is believed to be rainfall rather than dew or mist.
They can still be found on the hills of the South Downs of England, and the Staffordshire moorlands. Recently a Dew pond was restored on top of Cleeve Hill above Cheltenham Spa in the Cotswolds, as part of a National Heritage effort.
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