MARSTON PIT

MARSTON PIT

Martson Pit was once part of the brickwork industry in the heart of Bedfordshire in the 1950’s 60’s and 70’s . The London Brick Company dug out huge areas of the county where clay seams were present, the clay was extracted and sent to the Stewartby brickworks and at one time the factory’s produced 135 million bricks a year, but as the years past there was a massive decline in brick demand and the brick industry slowed leaving the pits to flood ,but as a legacy they left huge expanses of water which were then rented out to leisure activity’s one being angling and this is when Ampthill Angling Club acquired the Marston Pit.

The club has had the lake for 30 years + and all the stocked fish have been put in by the club. In the early days the lake held a good head of tench and bream but was only fished by a few. The lake now holds a great head of carp which attracts many budding carpers to the club but the lake also holds a good silver stock and one can easily spend a few happy evenings catching plentiful bags of roach and rudd too.

The far side of the lake (test track side) was also used by the railways to tip sleepers and other rail aggregates back in the 80’s but over the years the area has recovered and now matured into a picturesque lake.

Over the last few years the lake has had a gravel track installed by the club which now gives access to 70% of the lake and allowing anglers to park close to their chosen pegs, most pegs have great level areas for pitching up a bivvie if required or holding club or inter-club match’s.

Many hours have been spent by clubs members bringing this water into the 21 century of angling and hopefully a lasting for legacy for the club.