Berkshire Conservation Target Areas Descriptions.doc Waltham to Binfield Woods and Parklands
North of Wokingham and Bracknell there are numerous scattered ancient woodland sites as well as some areas of Parkland. This area encompasses the main concentration of these sites covering an area from White Waltham in the east to Haines Hill and Standlake Parks in the west and Binfield in the south. Joint Character Area: Thames Valley Geology: The southern part of this area is on the clay, silt and sand of the London Clay Formation with occasional areas of River Terrace Sands and Gravels. To the north there is a band of Lambeth Group (Reading Beds) There is also an area of chalk at the northern end and occasional areas of alluvium along streams. Topography: A relatively flat area cut through by two shallow stream valleys. Biodiversity: Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodland: There are numerous sites with ancient deciduous woodland in this area including Great Thrift Wood SSSI and the large Great Wood. Some of the woodlands are obvious remnants of once larger sites. Wet Woodland and fen: Wet woodland is found in places along the streams and some is found in association with fen habitat. Some of the fen habitat has been planted with poplars and willows, including Hungerford Meadow, which supported a mix of fen, wet grassland and lowland meadow habitat. Lowland Meadow: There are a small number of sites with lowland meadow habitat, or remnants of lowland meadow habitat in the north-west of the area. Parkland: The parklands are not particularly well known but there is one large site, Haines Hill Park, the adjacent Standlake Park, both of which have veteran trees, and also Billingbear and Shottesbrooke Parks. There are a number of other parkland sites. Farmland: the area south of Littlewick Green supports the last known population of corn bunting in East Berkshire.
Access: Limited to footpaths and bridleways. Targets and opportunities: management and restoration of woodland. The relative lack of other habitat makes this a good target area for additional woodland planting although there is good potential to recreate and to restore and extend the remaining lowland meadow habitats and there is also farmland bird interest. Parkland management. Fen management and restoration, including removal of some wet woodland. Management for farmland birds.
26