Sandhurst Wild Walk

Sandhurst Berkshire Buckinghamshire Wild Walk Oxfordshire

Explore east Berkshire: this gentle walk Wildmoor Heath Nature Reserve passes through heathland, pasture Heath once covered much of south and east and forest Berkshire, but today only 2% of this area survives, having been destroyed for housing and forestry. Starting in Sandhurst, this 9 km circular walk takes Wildmoor Heath’s gently rolling landscape in the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust’s (BBOWT) of heather, gorse and pine is part of this tiny Wildmoor Heath nature reserve and part of percentage of remaining heathland. Crowthorne Wood. The reserve is most colourful when the heather flowers in late 9 km/5.6 miles (about 2.5 hours) summer, turning the reserve shades of purple and pink with There is a 2.4 km/1.5 mile circular Wildlife Walk and other an accompanying buzz of bees and flies feeding on this rich additional paths through Wildmoor Heath to explore further nectar source. Parts of the route through Wildmoor Heath can get very wet However, there is plenty to see throughout the year. Cushions under foot of yellow, green and red sphagnum mosses glow even brighter after fresh rain. There are drifts of white feathery cottongrass How to get to the start dotted with golden-yellow bog asphodel. Dragonflies Postcode: GU47 9BL (Sandhurst library) Grid ref: SU 839 614 and damselflies dart back and forth over mirrored ponds. Stonechats and Dartford warblers sing from the tops of By bus: Check www.traveline.info for information about gorse bushes. local buses The reserve is managed by BBOWT in partnership with By train: There are railway stations at Sandhurst and also Bracknell Forest Borough Council for its wildlife and for public Crowthorne if you prefer to start at a different point on the recreation. Cattle browse the young pine, birch and purple moor-grass to keep the vegetation at the right height for walk. Check www.nationalrail.co.uk for train times ground-nesting birds such as nightjars, and for reptiles like By car: Parking is available in Sandhurst as well as in adders and lizards. Crowthorne and at Wildmoor Heath nature reserve Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) By bike: The walk starts in the centre of Sandhurst BBOWT relies on the support of our members to help us look after local wildlife. By joining BBOWT you can help to secure Please help us look after wildlife by keeping dogs on short the future of special landscapes like Wildmoor Heath. leads at Wildmoor Heath and picking up after them. Join us today!

NATURE NOTES

Small red Heathland Silver- Dartford damselflies is ideal studded warblers are can be seen habitat for blues are small, shy darting over reptiles. tiny butterflies birds that bog pools Common which are live on from early lizards bask found on lowland June to early September. on patches of bare ground heathland and occasionally heathland like that at Typical of many damselfly in the early morning sun to on coastal habitats. Their Wildmoor Heath. You may species, the males will grasp warm their bodies, cooled by name comes from the tiny be lucky enough to spot one the females behind the head the night air, before hunting dots on the underwings singing from the top of a to lay eggs ‘in tandem’ on for small insects. You may also which can look metallic and gorse bush or flying between plant stems below the water. catch a glimpse of basking silvery. On heathland, the bushes in search of insects The larvae hatch from the adders at Wildmoor Heath. caterpillars eat heathers and to eat. They nest among the eggs and live in the pools for They are identified by a gorse. They are tended by gorse or heather from April two years before emerging distinctive zig-zag pattern ants, which provide some to June. Parents are kept busy as adults. on their back. The males are protection against predators. feeding the two broods of smaller and paler than The adults fly during July 3–4 chicks with small insects the females. and August. and other invertebrates.

Protecting local wildlife Berkshire Buckinghamshire The route Oxfordshire

STAGE 1 STAGE 7 Start to Wildmoor Heath nature reserve Wildmoor Heath nature reserve to Sandhurst library From Sandhurst Library, turn left on to The Sandhurst Descend to Wildmoor Bottom and continue straight Broadway, then right on to Wellington Road and Station on at the footpath junction, this area can get quite left on to Thibet Road. At the end of the road, boggy. Go up and over the rise and turn left at the continue straight on along the footpath as you enter next footpath junction. Follow the footpath around WILDMOOR HEATH NATURE RESERVE. the edge of the bog, and along the boardwalk 1 through an area of wet wood before leaving the reserve. Follow the road opposite, slightly to your A321 right (Beech Ride), and take the footpath as the

STAGE 2 Library road bends right, cross Wellington Road and take

Wildmoor Heath nature reserve to Road Albion The Broadway The Albion Road back to the library. South Road Wellington Road Continue straight on at the footpath junction, taking Listen for Dartford warblers singing from the the boardwalks across the bog and pools. As you pass tops of gorse bushes, and look at the colourful under the power lines, follow the boardwalk to the mosses in the bog.

right, past the raised inspection cover, to the path Thibet Road Beech Ride Beech junction. Turn right on to bridleway and follow to the Sandhurst edge of the heath. STAGE 6

In summer, look for dragonflies and damselflies Edgbarrow School to 2 7 flitting around the many bog pools, and common Wildmoor Crowthorne Road Wildmoor Heath lizards basking on the boardwalks. Bottom nature reserve Turn left beside the school car park following the footpath for 200 metres before turning right between STAGE 3 the playground and sports field, and Owlsmoor South Road to WILDMOOR back into WILDMOOR HEATH. Follow Crowthorne Wood HEATH the permissive path straight on to NATURE the bridleway junction, and take Turn left on to South Road, go through RESERVE the footpath straight on, under the the gate and follow the path for 200 power lines, and up to the highest metres, before turning right on to the Power lines Edgbarrow School part of the heath. footpath. Follow this up and around A3095

the wooded hilltop and down to Sports Road Sandhurst Take a closer look at the bell- South Road Broadmoor Farm. Continue straight field 6 shaped flowers of heathers, and on up the sunken Eastern Lane with 3 watch for the many insects that its bracken-covered banks. Take the feed on their nectar. footpath straight on as the road bends

to the left. Grant Road Lower Broadmoor Road STAGE 5 Look for common blue, meadow Wellington Road brown and other butterflies over the Broadmoor Broadmoor Hospital to pasture in spring and summer. Farm Furze Hill Edgbarrow School Crescent Follow the pavement with the hospital on your left and turn right Playing fields Crowthorne by the sports field on to Cricket STAGE 4 Eastern Lane Field Grove. After the small car Crowthorne Wood to Cricket Field park, turn left and follow the path Grove downhill through the trees. Turn Broadmoor Hospital left at the road (Furze Hill Crescent), Cross the road, go through a gate Butter 4 Broadmoor then right on to Wellington Road.

and continue on into Crowthorne Bottom Hospital 5 After 100 metres, turn left and Wood, taking the left fork down follow the footpath between the to the fish pond at Butter Bottom, Pond houses, across Lower Broadmoor and on for 400 metres to a wide Road and follow Grant Road, slightly path junction. Turn left on to The to your right through the gap in Devil’s Highway following this the trees, cross one road and on to restricted byway for about ½ mile, The Devil’s Highway Edgbarrow School. then just past the Broadmoor Listen for the high-pitched call of Hospital car park, turn left on to goldcrests high up in the

the footpath.

pine canopy. 0 metres 500 N Look for coppiced sweet chestnut along the forest path.

WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS J F M A M J J A S O N D KEY ‘Wild’ landscapes 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 BBOWT Nature Reserve Carpets of flowering heather on the heath 4 4 4 Railway station Dragonflies and damselflies darting around bog pools 4 4 4 4 4 Bus stop 4 4 4 Swirling drifts of cottongrass over the wet heath Parking Chorus of bird song at dawn and dusk 4 4 4