History of the Working Beds
Below is a brief history of the working watercress beds. A detailed photographic history formed part of our 2023 Social Event, and this can be seen in its entirety at the Watercress Centre on Open Days (see visiting)
Watercress occurs naturally in the spring fed brooks emanating from the Chilterns. In Ewelme the Brook is fed from springs in the village. The water, having been filtered through the chalk, is ideal for growing watercress due to its purity. The stream also has the advantage of a stable temperature and flow regime. Watercress must have been harvested in Ewelme for millennia and certainly there are references to watercress beds in Ewelme in the mid-19th century.
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However it was in late 1800s when serious commercial production began in Ewelme. It was in 1886 that George Smith bought two cottages and land beside the brook and began to modify the stream and enlarge the beds to allow larger quantities of cress to be grown. His enterprise was helped by the recent (January 1886) demise of Ewelme Mill. The Mill, situated 100 m downstream of the village bridge, had a mill pond which had extended some distance above the bridge, and may have precluded the use of this area for serious watercress production. Also the railway branch line to Watlington had been opened in 1872, allowing access to markets beyond the local vicinity.
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George Smith and his brother Robert had originally come from the Lewknor where there were established watercress beds. They enlarged the area of production and were joined in Ewelme by other growers. A second Smith family, also from the Lewknor area but not closely related, grew watercress beside the ford at Brownings and used the village pond (King’s Pool) for production.
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The watercress was grown from cuttings which were spread onto the prepared bed and allowed to root. Planting took place from June to October and harvesting between February and June with a further crop taken in August and through the autumn. At the peak of production watercress was harvested from Kings Pool all the way down to Cottesmore.
Harvesting was done by hand-cutting. The cress was washed with clean water and tied in small bunches with raffia and packed into baskets containing 28 or 56 pounds. The baskets were taken by cart to Watlington station, about 5 miles away and thence by train to markets in London, Manchester and the Midlands. In London ‘Ewelme Cresses’ acquired a high reputation and were much sought after.
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Commercial production stopped in 1988. New regulations on watercress growing meant that their operation was no longer commercially viable. The Code of Practice of the Watercress Growers Association requires the beds to be at or near the water supply source, and free from surface water contamination throughout their length. With the beds in the Ewelme Stream lying near the road for much of their length compliance could not be achieved without considerable work and expense being incurred.
History of the Restoration of the Beds
After commercial production ceased in 1988, the beds were abandoned and soon became overgrown with weeds such as great willow herb. The winter remains of this tall plant began to choke the beds and the stream reverted to a narrow channel, almost invisible at times. The resulting habitat did not seem to support the variety of wildlife that had previously been so enjoyed by the villagers and there was evidence of water voles disappearing from the stream. In short the area that had once been the pride of the village became an eyesore.
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The restoration of the beds was initiated by Des Dix. Des lived in a house beside the Watercress Beds. He witnessed the transformation of the beds to a watery jungle and determined to do something about it. He gained permission to clear and restore the site, and he and his son set about clearing the weeds. However, it soon became apparent that a large team was required for this enormous task.
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The village answered his appeal for volunteers and many work parties began the restoration tasks. However, structural work was needed such as the replacement of the wooden dams controlling the flow through the cress beds which had rotted. Also the concrete bund down the middle of the beds originally constructed on a chalk footing was no longer fit for purpose and it too needed to be rebuilt. The village on its own could not complete the restoration.
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The Chiltern Society Conservation Volunteers were approached and agreed to organise work parties in the summer of 1992 to restore the Ewelme beds as a record of its history and former importance, although it was recognised that watercress could no longer be sold for human consumption. On the lower site it was decided to restore the waterfalls below the bridge where the mill had once stood, but otherwise to leave this area as a wildlife haven.
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The owner of the land, Mr Chavasse died in 1993 and the beds were put up for sale in 1995. After much fundraising with local actor Jeremy Irons becoming the patron, the Chiltern Society were finally able to purchase the site in November 1999 for £125,000.
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Once acquired by the Chiltern Society the site was designated a Local Nature Reserve under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.
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Planning permission was granted for the demolition of the existing shed to be replaced by a brick-built Visitor Centre with its own well and ground source heating. The Centre was officially opened in July 2004 by the Duke of Kent.
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The Ewelme Watercress Beds are now maintained by volunteers under the direction of the Management Committee. They are supported by the Friends of Ewelme Watercress Beds.
Publications
More about the history of the commercial beds and their restoration can be found in two publications available for purchase at Ewelme Village Store: These are:
‘The Story of the Ewelme Watercress Beds’ by John Legh, revised 2021. £5
‘Our Stream, the Story of the Ewelme/Benson Brook’ by David J Solomon. £7.
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