Hartlebury Common
{{Short description|Lowland heath in Worcestershire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox SSSI
|image=220px
|image_caption= Hartlebury Common
|name= Hartlebury Common
|aos=Hereford And Worcester
|interest=Biological/Geological
|gridref=SO 824707
|coordinates=
|area=90.2 ha
|notifydate=1955, 1986
|enref=1000046
}}
Hartlebury Common is an area of lowland heath in north Worcestershire, England, situated just outside the town of Stourport-on-Severn. Hartlebury Common and Hillditch Coppice are a biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest which covers an area of 90.2 hectares (229 acres).
{{cite web | url=http://www.ramblers.org.uk/INFO/parks/hartleburycommon.html | title=Hartlebury Common | accessdate=2007-01-07 | publisher=The Ramblers Association | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231074636/http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/parks/hartleburycommon.html | archivedate=2006-12-31 }}{{cite web | url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000046.pdf | title=Hartlebury Common And Hillditch Coppice citation |series=Sites of Special Scientific Interest | year=2001 | accessdate=2012-12-16 | publisher=Natural England}}{{cite web|url= http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271000046%27|title=Map of Hartlebury Common And Hillditch Coppice|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate=4 August 2013}}
The common supports many varieties of wild plants and insects, especially butterflies and moths.{{cite web | url=http://www.visitworcestershire.org/things-to-do/Kidderminster-Hartlebury-Common-Local-Nature-Reserve/details/?dms=13&GroupId=2&venue=1391368 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416031516/http://www.visitworcestershire.org/things-to-do/Kidderminster-Hartlebury-Common-Local-Nature-Reserve/details/?dms=13&GroupId=2&venue=1391368 | url-status=dead | archive-date=2013-04-16 | title=Hartlebury Common Local Nature Reserve | publisher=Visit Worcestershire | accessdate=2012-12-16 }} Hartlebury Common and Hillditch Pool are a Local Nature Reserve.{{cite web|url= http://www.lnr.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/lnr/lnr_details.asp?C=0&N=hartlebury&ID=201|title=Hartlebury Common/Hillditch Pool |series=Local Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England|accessdate=4 August 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=lnrIndex&query=REF_CODE%3D%271008939%27 |title=Map of Hartlebury Common/Hillditch Pool|series=Local Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England|accessdate=4 August 2013}}
The common is easily accessed from several small car parks and popular with horse riders, walkers, joggers and naturalists. There are waymarked trails for walkers and horse riders such as the heather trail and horse route.{{cite web | url=http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cms/countryside/explore-the-countryside/countryside-sites-list/hartlebury-common.aspx | title=Hartlebury Common | year=2012 | accessdate=2012-12-16 | publisher=Worcestershire County Council | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121231000608/http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cms/countryside/explore-the-countryside/countryside-sites-list/hartlebury-common.aspx | archivedate=2012-12-31 }}
Location
Toponymy
The name Hartlebury is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Heoertlabyrig meaning "Hill of the Deer".{{cite news | title = Hartlebury - hill of the deer | newspaper = Kidderminster Shuttle | publisher = Newsquest | date = 2006-08-02 | url=http://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/archive/2006/08/02/Midlands+Archive/6542311.Hartlebury___hill_of_the_deer/ | accessdate = 16 December 2012}}
Geology
Hartlebury Common lies on Quaternary wind-blown sand{{cite web | url=http://geopark.org.uk/pub/category/publications/the-geopark-way/ | title=The Geopark Way « Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark | year=2001 | accessdate=2012-12-16 | publisher=Natural England}} which covers two river terraces of the River Severn overlying Bunter and Keuper Sandstone. It is situated within the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark which was launched in 2004.{{cite news | title = Geopark launch to encourage greater awareness of heritage | newspaper = Malvern Gazette | publisher = Newsquest | date = 2004-03-19 | url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/archive/2004/03/19/Herefordshire+Archive/5665593.Geopark_launch_to_encourage_greater_awareness_of_heritage/
| accessdate = 16 December 2012}} Falling within the counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Shropshire and Worcestershire the Geopark covers {{convert|1250|sqmi|-1|disp=flip|abbr=in}}. The geological and geomorphological significance of the area has been recognised for many years with 13 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and 179 Local Geological Sites (LGS) present.{{cite web | title = Geopark Background | publisher = Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark | url = http://www.geopark.org.uk/blog/Geology/AreaGeology/_archives/2009/7/12/4252612.html | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110721231353/http://www.geopark.org.uk/blog/Geology/AreaGeology/_archives/2009/7/12/4252612.html | archivedate = 2011-07-21 | accessdate = 16 December 2012}} The Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark is one of only seven geoparks in the UK.{{cite news | title = Geopark Way is officially open to walkers | newspaper = Malvern Gazette | publisher = Newsquest | date = 2009-05-14 | url=http://www.malverngazette.co.uk/news/4368032.109_mile_Geopark_Way_is_officially_open_to_walkers/ | accessdate = 16 December 2012}}
Archaeology
Hartlebury Common supports a range of archaeological remains including stone revetted banks, historic trackways (or 'holloways'), post-medieval quarries and pools that contain paleoenvironmental deposits and the site of a 19th-century rifle range.{{cite web | url=http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cms/pdf/Complete%20Implementation%20Plan%20for%20Hartlebury.pdf | title=Implementation Plan for Hartlebury | accessdate=2012-12-17 }}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
There is also evidence of a large circular embanked enclosure on the common which may have been a signalling post, hunting lodge, small ringwork castle or religious site. Mesolithic and Neolithic artefacts have also been found at the site.{{cite web | url=http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MWR7064&resourceID=1035 | title=Heritage Gateway | accessdate=2012-12-16}}
Footnotes
{{reflist}}
Further reading
- Alma, P J; Tucker, J J; Zaluckyj, S (1986) Hartlebury Common: A Social and Natural History Hereford and Worcester County Council
External links
- [http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/cms/PDF/Hartlebury%20Common%20Site%20Map.pdf Hartlebury Common site map]{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- [http://www.geopark.org.uk/ Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark]
{{coord|52.336703|-2.259836|display=title|region:GB_type:landmark}}
Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Worcestershire