Greenham and Crookham Commons
{{Short description|Protected area in Berkshire, England}}
{{other uses|Crookham (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox SSSI
|image=Crookham Common - geograph.org.uk - 1187560.jpg
|image_caption=Crookham Common
|name=Greenham and Crookham Commons
|aos=Berkshire
|interest=Biological
|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|SU 501 644}}
|coordinates={{coord|51.376|-1.282|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title,inline}}
|area={{convert|280.5|ha|acre|abbr=off}}
|map=[https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003118%27 Magic Map]
}}
Greenham and Crookham Commons are two adjoining public park areas of {{convert|280.5 |ha|acre|abbr=off|adj=on}} common land designated as a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the civil parishes of Greenham and Thatcham, on the southern outskirts of Newbury in the English county of Berkshire.
Public park
In 1997, Greenham and Crookham Commons were designated as public parkland.{{cn|date=January 2024}} Cattle from local farms are permitted to graze the Commons and often stray onto the adjacent Burys Bank Road.{{Cite web|date=2017-12-22|title=Drivers urged to slow down and be vigilant for cattle in Greenham|url=https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/drivers-urged-to-slow-down-and-be-vigilant-for-cattle-in-greenham/|access-date=2020-10-06|website=inyourarea.co.uk}}
Site of Special Scientific Interest
The SSSI is in several areas{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1003118&SiteName=&countyCode=44&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Greenham and Crookham Commons | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date = 15 October 2019}}{{cite web|url= https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003118%27|title=Map of Greenham and Crookham Commons|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= 15 October 2019}} and it is part of the {{convert|444 |ha|acre|abbr=off|adj=on}} Greenham and Crookham Commons nature reserve, which is owned by West Berkshire Council and managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.{{cite web|url= https://www.bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/greenham-and-crookham-commons |title= Greenham and Crookham Commons |publisher= Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust |access-date= 15 October 2019}}
The two commons have the largest area of heathland and acid grassland in the county and other habitats are gorse scrub, broadleaved woodland and water-logged alder valleys. There is a rich variety of invertebrates, such as the white admiral, purple emperor and silver-washed fritillary woodland butterflies.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1003118.pdf |title=Greenham and Crookham Commons citation|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date= 15 October 2019}}
History
=Pre-20th century=
The area has been common grazing land for the parishes since Norman times. Besides the grazing of local animals, the commons were used for troop movements during the English Civil War and in the eighteen and nineteenth centuries.{{cite book|last=Ford|first=David Nash|date=2020|title=West Berkshire Town and Village Histories|url=http://www.nashfordpublishing.co.uk/publications/west_berkshire_town_and_village_histories.html|location=Wokingham|publisher=Nash Ford Publishing|pages=125–133|isbn=9781905191031}}
=World War II and Cold War=
{{Main|RAF Greenham Common}}
The area became a Royal Air Force station called RAF Greenham Common in 1942; it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War and the United States Air Force during the Cold War, also as a base for nuclear weapons. In the 1980s, the commons therefore became the location of the Women's Peace Camp, but following the closure of the base in September 1992, it was opened to the public as a nature reserve in April 2000.
References
{{commons category|Greenham and Crookham Commons}}
{{reflist|30em}}
{{SSSIs Berks}}
{{Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust }}
Category: Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust