Directions Updated in the 1980S

Nature Discovery Centre Kingfisher Bluebells Kennet and Avon Canal Lapwing Sulphur knight Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust present tower was built in 1951 and Directions updated in the 1980s. The tower is 6-mile circular walk through the Living Landscape now a refurbished Grade II listed Leaving the Nature Discovery building. Centre, head south with the Wild Walk One lake on your left. At the corner Re-join the walk at the flagpole, of the lake, head west across walking east along the Common the junction of tracks, signed N on a wide gravel track. Reedbeds. When the track bears You are parallel to the old runway: left, continue straight ahead 8 3,660 m in length. In 1995 the 1.25 along a small path under the A4 million tonnes of concrete was electricity wires. to Reading removed, and some reused for 1 Excavation of this area uncovered Newbury by-pass. You may see many flint tools from 10,000 years the Exmoor ponies grazing on the Benham Hill ago: tools for cutting vegetables, common; helping to manage the scraping animal skins, making heathland habitat and conserve this holes and sawing. rare breed of ponies too. Lower Way Nature Discovery START/ Follow the path through the Centre FINISH After some distance, take the reedbeds, crossing two small left fork and follow this path as Thatcham Thatcham streams, until you reach the Lake it goes through the trees. river and canal. 1 2 9 The area of lakes on your right was 2 Approximately 40 species of Thatcham re-landscaped to create insect feed only on reeds. Look out Reedbeds ‘micro-climates’; different facing slopes Reedbeds Thatcham and drier or damper areas to give for the bloody-nosed beetle Bull’s Widmead Station Lock 11a that gets its name from emitting Lock Kennet and Avon Canal 11 varied conditions for wildlife. Look out a blood-like substance for black and white lapwings circling from its mouth when it Lower over the pools. The name describes Farm 3 their wavering flight. feels threatened. Wetland

At the canal towpath, turn Keep the lakes on your right right to go over a bridge. Pass River Kennet until you come to a gate on your Bull’s Lock and cross the canal 4 left. Cross the road and head on the swing-bridge. Turn left down the gravel bridleway. Bowdown 10 Chamberhouse onto the road and walk under Woods Farm Turn left at the metalled track the railway. Keep to the right Nature and cross the River Kennet to along a track following the 5 Reserve Woodland slopes Chamberhouse Farm. footpath sign until you come 6 The American signal crayfish, an to a lake created from a disused 10 escapee from crayfish farms, is gravel pit on the right. Golf course now very common in the river; 7 3 This lake attracts a wide range unfortunately, it carries a disease of birds, such as the little ringed Control that has almost wiped out the native tower plover, a summer visitor 9 white-clawed crayfish. Evidence of from Africa. 7a late Bronze Age activity has been Bury’s Bank Road 8 found at Chamberhouse Farm; it is Continue on the track up the hill. also reputed to have been the site of a late medieval castle. Moving away from the river valley Greenham and 4 Heathland Crookham Common up a wooded escarpment, you Continue ahead between the might notice the ground is wet. hedges to the canal. This water seeps out of the ground at the junction of the London Clay 11 The swing bridge crosses a mile- and the overlying sands. long straight of the canal built to by-pass the winding River Kennet. In Please note the walk is to be followed in June notice the tall, prolific hemlock Turn into the car park for an anti-clockwise direction BBOWT’s Bowdown Woods water dropwort and look out for the Nature Reserve on your left. bright blue kingfisher as it flies low The numbers on the map indicate points of Key over the canal. Take the path in the top corner interest along the way. of the car park and follow it Railway Station Our walk turns left on the up a slope between two banks Remember you can help look after Parking towpath, but you might detour until you reach a fence on your wildlife by keeping your dog on a lead. right. Follow the path along BBOWT nature reserve right along the towpath to the fence. Monkey Marsh lock. This has been restored as an old 5 Notice the majestic, ancient oak 11a trees. The bark of oak was once traditional ‘turf-sided’ lock using used in the tanning of leather and modern materials. South of the lock, acorns were fed to pigs. There there is a ‘pillbox’, a Second World are over 300 species of fungi in War defence structure. Bank Road. Cross the road onto Bowdown Woods; spot the yellowy 6 The Old Bomb Site on the left of the path systems that once covered the area. sulphur knight with its unpleasant was used as a wartime munitions site. A Greenham Common. Turn left onto Head back along the towpath gas-like smell. On a sunny summer’s a small path through the gorse, military structure was demolished and Before going left, you might to the next lock, Widmead. day look out for the distinctive the bricks left provide shelter for lizards, heading for a flagpole. Just after, turn away from the gatekeeper butterfly. detour ahead to the old Airfield snakes and small mammals. 7 Look underfoot here, most of the Control Tower. canal through a gate. Cross the pebbles are smooth rounded flints railway being extremely careful When you reach a T-junction, When you reach the car park, walk showing that they have been 7a Near the control tower is a map and and walk straight ahead back to turn right on a Tarmac path. along the Tarmac drive to Bury’s transported a distance in the great river information about the Common.The the Centre where our walk ends. Design and production: NatureBureau, Newbury. www.naturebureau.co.uk Newbury. NatureBureau, Design and production: Gatekeeper butterfly Control Tower and Exmoor pony Bell heather Autumn lady’s-tresses Bloody-nosed beetle Hemlock water dropwort