The next phase of the Food Museum's 10-year masterplan for development will restore the Abbot's Hall Fishing Lodge and build a stunning new bridge to provide public access.

The building dates from the mid-18th century but the pond is probably an earlier survival. Medieval stew ponds were common on manorial estates like Abbot's Hall. They provided fish for the residents to eat. There was often more than one pond, as there is at the museum. A small pond might be used for spawning or breeding the fish which were then moved into the larger pond. We believe the pond was developed into an ornamental garden feature in the early 18th century. The fishing lodge was built around the same time and would have been used as a space for leisure activities such as picnics.

Through a public fundraising campaign, we are seeking to raise £25k through a public campaign towards the £100k we need to build a new bridge and make the building accessible as a picnic site for today's visitors.