Snelsmore Common
Nature reserve near Newbury, Berkshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Snelsmore Common is a 104-hectare (260-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Newbury in Berkshire.[1][2] It is owned by West Berkshire Council and managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.[3]
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
| |
  Location within Berkshire | |
| Location | Berkshire |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SU 460 710[1] |
| Coordinates | 51.436°N 1.340°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 104.0 hectares (257 acres)[1] |
| Notification | 1989[1] |
| Location map | Magic Map |
This is a country park which has diverse habitats, including dry heath, wet heath, bog, birch woods and ancient semi-natural broadleaved woodland. The bog has a 5,000 year old layer of peat which has been studied stratigraphically to show changes in ancient land use and vegetation. An area of wet alder woodland has many lichens, including a rich community which grows on trees, such as Parmelia caperarta, Pertusaria pertusa and Lecanactis abietina.[4]
