Fence Wood, Berkshire

Fence Wood is the largest component of a swathe of woodland on the east side of Hermitage in west Berkshire, mostly contiguous, linking with Bucklebury Common a little further southeast. The wood contains mostly conifers, principally European larch, a plantation established in the 20th century, but with some deciduous trees along the edges and beside some of the tracks - remnants from the ancient woodland that once covered all the land, as shown by rich ground flora including several ancient indicator wildflower species such as wood anemone and bluebell.

The woods, part of the North Wessex Downs AONB, extend one mile north to south and half a mile east to west, and lie in a shallow basin ringed by higher ground on three sides. A tiny stream rises at the centre and drains eastwards, towards the River Pang, and there are several ponds amongst the trees.

The soils are a mix of clay, silt and sand, from the London Clay Formation, underlain by chalk bedrock. Some of the pathways are relatively recent, some medieval, and one, Fence Lane is thought to have be here for several thousand years - even earlier than an Iron Age hillfort, Grimsbury Castle, the earthworks from which are still quite evident, at the north edge of the wood. They consist of two concentric embankments enclosing an oval area one thousand feet across at its widest point.

The Wood

Fence Wood is accessed from roads across the high ground along its perimeter, and have a number of (free) parking places, including three along Slanting Hill and an unnamed lane in the west, and two along Marlston Road in the north. The ancient Fence Lane runs from one of these two, close to the hillfort then across the east edge of the basin to Westrop Green in the south; the track is lined in some places by high banks, an indication of its great age, and on here are found many wildflowers in the spring. Several wide pathways curve around the other sides of the basin, allowing loop walks of up to 2.5 miles. Some areas of the wood are periodically cleared and replanted, for timber, but most of the land is tree-covered.