Originally forming part of the Great Sanders Estate, the name is derived from the fact that
there was an 18th-century black powder (gunpowder) manufacturer on the site. The mill used
to grind the powder was driven by water from a mill pond formed by a dam across the
original stream.
One of the original pair of mill stones may be seen, half buried, at the eastern end of the dam (see image above).
Prior to its use as a powdermill the site held an iron foundry which pre dated the attempt by
the Spanish Armada to invade Britain.
The reservoir was constructed between 1929 and 1932 and the filling of the reservoir began on
5 November 1931. Once the reservoir was completed in March 1932, the Hastings
Corporation (the original owners) were approached for the lease of the fishing rights. A
seven-year lease was granted to the Hastings Fly Fisher's Club for a fee of £5 per annum and
with the undertaking to stock the waters with two thousand fish per season. Since then the
lease and the number of fish stocked has risen by a considerable margin, but the Club has
been in existence since that time and continues to hold the lease.