Living Landscape Wild Walk

Living Landscape Berkshire Buckinghamshire Wild Walk One Oxfordshire

Enjoy varied wetland wildlife, ancient West Berkshire Living Landscape woods and rare heathland Living Landscapes are big and bold; they create Starting in Thatcham, this 6-mile circular walk space for wildlife and people, reconnect isolated takes in the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust’s habitats and give wildlife room to adapt and thrive. (BBOWT) Bowdown Woods. Thatcham Reedbeds and The West Berkshire Living Landscape is on the edge of 2 Greenham and Crookham Commons are managed by Newbury and Thatcham. It covers 27 km and is a mosaic of BBOWT on behalf of West Berks Council. land rich with history and wildlife; a place for people and wildlife to thrive side by side. 9.7 km/6 miles (allow 3–4 hours) The walk starts and finishes at the Nature Discovery Centre. Walking past history It is managed by BBOWT on behalf of West Berks Council, and has parking, a shop, toilets and café. Visit bbowt.org.uk/ Excavations near Thatcham Reedbeds uncovered many flint nature-discovery-centre for opening times. tools from 10,000 years ago: used for cutting vegetables, Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 158 1:25,000 scale, covers scraping animal skins, making holes and sawing. the area of this walk. In Bowdown Woods the ‘Old Bomb Site’ was used as a wartime munitions site. Bricks left from the demolished How to get to the start buildings provide shelter for reptiles and small mammals. Postcode: RG19 3FU Grid ref: SU 506 660 Greenham Common is best known for its turbulent history. The airfield was used by the US Airforce during the ‘Cold By bus: There are bus stops on Lower Way near the Centre. War’, attracting anti-nuclear protests. The fences finally By train: Thatcham railway station is near to this route. Starting came down in 2000. 1.25 million tonnes of concrete there increases the walk by just under one mile. and gravel were removed, new pools and slopes were landscaped. Today it’s a ‘common’ place once again and full By car: There is parking at the Nature Discovery Centre, of very special wildlife. Bowdown Woods and Greenham and Crookham Commons. By bike: There is a cycle rack at the Nature Discovery Centre. Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) BBOWT relies on the support of our members to help us look Please help us look after wildlife by keeping dogs on a after local wildlife. By joining BBOWT you can help to secure lead when in nature reserves and under close control at all the future of special landscapes like Bowdown Woods nature other times. reserve. Join us today!

NATURE NOTES

Heathland Reedbeds Woodland Farmland is a rare are among the This walk is one of the habitat most important passes most in Berkshire habitats in the through extensive but one UK for birds. Bowdown habitats in that is Some species, Woods, the the UK and important for many species. such as reed warblers, will Trust’s biggest woodland can be a very important link Ground-nesting birds such nest here while wildfowl like reserve in Berkshire. The between other habitats for as nightjar nest here and tufted ducks and gadwall woodland is made up of wildlife. The hedgerows, reptiles such as adders live feed in the shallows. hidden valleys, sunny glades flower-filled field margins, here all year round, basking The habitat is also and patches of heathland seed-filled stubble and in the sun on patches of bare important for insects such as which are all rich in wildlife. ponds are home to small ground. In late summer the dragonflies and damselflies, In spring, wild flowers such mammals, birds such as heath at Greenham and which can be seen flying as bluebells carpet the yellowhammers, and insects. Crookham Commons is over the reeds. Thatcham woodland floor, and birds, These insects can be essential covered with the pink and Reedbeds is home to the including treecreepers, nest pollinators for the crops that purple blooms of flowering very rare and tiny Desmoulin’s in the branches up above. farmers grow. We’re working heather; contrasted by the whorl snail which is no bigger Later in the year a vast array with farmers so that farmland bright yellow gorse. than 2 mm. of fungi emerge from the is managed in the best way leaf litter. for wildlife.

Protecting local wildlife Berkshire Buckinghamshire The route – follow in an anti-clockwise direction Oxfordshire

STAGE 2 STAGE 1 STAGE 7 At the canal towpath, turn right to go Leaving the Nature Discovery Centre, head Our walk turns left on the over a bridge. Pass Bull’s Lock and cross south with the lake on your left. At the towpath, but you might detour the canal on the swing-bridge. Turn left corner of the lake, head west across the right along the towpath to onto the road and walk under the railway. junction of tracks, signed Reedbeds. When Monkey Marsh lock. Head back Keep to the right along a track following the track bears left, continue straight ahead along the towpath to the next the footpath sign until you come to a lake along a small path under the electricity lock, Widmead. Just after, turn created from a disused gravel pit on the wires. Follow the path through the away from the canal through right. Continue on the track up the hill. reedbeds, crossing two small streams, until a gate. Cross the railway being Warning: After heavy rain, it can flood you reach the river and canal. extremely careful and walk under the bridge. straight ahead back to the A4 Centre where our walk ends. to Reading

Benham Hill

Lower Way P Nature Discovery Centre 1

Thatcham Thatcham Lake

Thatcham 2 Reedbeds Reedbeds Thatcham Bull’s Widmead Station Lock Lock Kennet and Avon Canal 7 Lower Farm Wetland

N STAGE 3 River Kennet Turn into the car park for BBOWT’s Bowdown Chamberhouse Woods Nature Reserve on 3 Bowdown Woods Farm your left. Take the path in Nature the top corner of the car P Reserve Woodland slopes park and follow it up a slope between two banks until you reach a fence on your right. Follow the path 4 P along the fence. When you P 6 reach a T-junction, turn Main car park right on a Tarmac path. and control tower

STAGE 6 P Bury’s Bank Road 5 Keep the lakes on your right until you come to a gate on your left. Cross the road and head down the gravel Heathland Greenham and Crookham Common bridleway. Turn left at the metalled track and cross the River Kennet to Chamberhouse Farm. Continue ahead between the hedges to the canal. STAGE 4 When you reach the car park, walk along the Tarmac drive to Bury’s Bank Road. Cross the road STAGE 5 KEY onto Greenham Common. Turn Re-join the walk at the flagpole, left onto a small path through walking east along the Common BBOWT Nature Reserve the gorse, heading for a flagpole. on a wide gravel track. After some Railway station Before going left, you might distance, take the left fork and detour ahead to the old Airfield follow this path as it goes through Parking Control Tower. the trees. P

The terrain consists of a towpath, tracks and steep slopes and can get very muddy. There are road crossings The Nature Discovery Centre, Thatcham Reedbeds and a railway crossing that needs particular care. The and Greenham & Crookham Commons are managed route is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs and by the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust on behalf of bicycles are not permitted on some sections.