Archive · Timeline
A history of Bury Hill Fisheries
From a country-estate lake to a four-lake day-ticket fishery with its own newsletters and a computer game, and then its closure. Every entry has a dated source.
c. 1800 – Early 1970s
The estate lake
c. 1800#
A country estate in the Surrey hills
In 2002 the fishery described itself as set on a 200-year-old country estate in a secluded valley near Dorking, 20 miles from central London. Old Bury Hill Lake was the estate lake: spring-fed, 12.5 acres, with a wooded island.[Archive, 21 March 2002][Archive, 29 January 2002]
Early 1970s#
The 33 lb carp record
A 33 lb carp set the Old Lake record. It still stood three decades later.[Archive, 28 January 2002]
1991 – 2002
Growth of the fishery
1991#
Milton and Bonds are dug
Two new lakes were created “to relieve pressure on the main lake”: Milton, three acres, for tench and crucians, and the smaller Bonds, stocked with carp.[Archive, 31 January 2002]
c. 1996#
Pro-Fish courses begin
By late 2001 the fishery’s Pro-Fish angling courses were in their sixth year, sponsored by Anchor Tackle and Keenets.[Archive, 12 December 2001]
1997#
The aeration system
Two corkscrew pumps were installed, moving over 7 million gallons a day back into the Old Lake through a weir, a man-made stream and three inlets along the Island Bank.[Archive, 29 January 2002]
May 2000#
The 500 lb haul
John Houseman and Chris Tulley shared a 500 lb pleasure haul, including tench to 8 lb, boat fishing “the jungle”.[Archive, 29 January 2002]
May 2001#
The biggest carp for 30 years
Steven Grant landed a 30 lb 8 oz mirror from peg 42 on the Long Bank, and a 28 lb 8 oz fish two days later.[Archive, 28 January 2002]
December 2001#
The fishery online
The earliest captures of the fishery’s website show pages for the lakes, angling tuition and corporate “Big Fish” days.[Archive, 11 December 2001][Archive, 12 December 2001]
2002#
Three lakes, and a fourth
Early 2002 pages describe three lakes and a new boathouse with shop and café, run by owner David de Vere. Temple Lake, a four-acre specimen carp water, was built the same year.[Archive, 21 March 2002][Operator site, 26 October 2026]
February 2007 – October 2011
Newsletters and downloads
February 2007#
The 3D Carp game
The fishery’s downloads page offered a free 3D Carp game for Windows XP, downloaded 18,973 times. The weekly report featured a 22 lb common for Lee Bacon.[Archive, 24 February 2007]
October 2007#
The photo gallery
The online gallery held 259 photos in nine albums.[Archive, 16 October 2007]
February 2009#
BHF Predator newsletter
The newsletter reported a 13 lb 12 oz zander for 11-year-old Bradley Gibbons, a 20 lb pike and carp to 37 lb, and invited readers to the fishery’s stand at The Big One angling show.[Archive, 14 April 2009][Archive, 13 April 2009]
October 2009#
Phishing on the carp list
Two phishing emails reached the BHF Carp mailing list. They are the only messages from that list to survive.[Archive, 28 October 2009]
October 2011#
A Halloween zander
Greg Boothright’s 14 lb zander was the largest of the season so far.[Archive, 4 January 2012]
June 2022 – February 2025
Closure
June 2022#
Closure notice for the Old Lake
Anglers shared the fishery’s notice that Old Bury Hill Lake would close.[Report, June 2022]
February 2023#
Old Bury Hill Lake closes
The estate lake closed to anglers.[Operator site, 26 October 2026]
March 2023#
Day membership
Milton, Bonds and Temple moved from day tickets to day membership.[Operator site, 26 October 2026]
February 2025#
The whole venue closes
Fishing at Bury Hill ended. The full sequence, with every source, is in the Closure Record.[Report, December 2025][Report, February 2025]
Questions
Frequently asked
When were the Bury Hill lakes dug?
Old Bury Hill was the historic estate lake. Milton and Bonds were dug in 1991, and Temple Lake was built in 2002.
When did Bury Hill Fisheries close?
The Old Lake closed in February 2023 and the whole venue in February 2025.