Village pond
A focal point of Hanley Swan is the village pond and green. Before the Hanley Castle Enclosure Act of 1797, there used to be a pound behind the pond where stray cows and sheep would be held. Over the years the state of the pond has been a regular cause of local concern. In 1900 it was in such a polluted state that the parish council wrote to the owners of St Gabriel's Terrace (a row of cottages across the road from the pond) asking them "to disconnect the overflow from their cesspits from running into the Swan Pool". In 1911 a local man, Edward Roberts, was paid £22 to clean the pond, but by 1919 it was again in a dilapidated state.
For a short period it did support a pair of swans, but it is more suitable for ducks, geese and moorhens. The last major restoration took place in 1990, when local builder Brian Robinson introduced a water feed pipe running from nearby Coverdale Farm. He also added the willow tree with duck landing stage and nesting box in the middle of the pond and installed memorial benches around it.
The quantity of bird life on the pond has fluctuated over the years, but has never been as high as in the summer of 2006, when over 100 ducks and half a dozen geese were to be found in or around it. This caused serious problems of pollution and erosion, since vegetation had little chance to get established before being eaten. To make matters worse, many visitors cannot resist feeding the ducks, mainly with bread much of which falls to the bottom of the pond and rots, making the water slimy and unable to sustain plants, such as water lilies which used to cover the surface.
Under the guidance of Worcestershire County Council's countryside service, volunteers have been making willow revetments to stabilise the banks. The geese have been removed and the number of ducks reduced so that in time it is hoped the pond will recover its former picturesque appearance.