Checkendon Wood

Wood, Forest in Berkshire

England

Checkendon Wood

Checkendon Wood is a picturesque woodland located in the county of Berkshire, England. Covering an area of approximately 50 acres, it is situated near the village of Checkendon, within the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The wood is primarily composed of native broadleaf trees, including oak, beech, and birch, which create a diverse and vibrant ecosystem. The canopy of these majestic trees provides shade and shelter for a wide variety of plant and animal species. Bluebells and wild garlic carpet the forest floor in spring, while ferns, mosses, and fungi thrive in the damp and shaded areas.

Visitors to Checkendon Wood can enjoy peaceful walks along the well-maintained paths that crisscross the woodland. The paths meander through a mixture of open glades and dense woodland, offering glimpses of sunlight filtering through the leaves and creating a magical atmosphere. Birdsong fills the air, with species such as woodpeckers, thrushes, and finches commonly heard and spotted.

The wood also boasts a small stream that meanders through its heart, adding to its natural beauty. This water source attracts a variety of wildlife, including deer, squirrels, and rabbits. It is not uncommon to spot a fox or badger roaming the woodland during quieter times of the day.

Overall, Checkendon Wood is a tranquil and enchanting forest, providing a haven for nature lovers and those seeking a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Its natural beauty, diverse flora and fauna, and well-maintained paths make it a popular destination for both locals and visitors to Berkshire.

Show me another place!

If you have any feedback on the listing, please let us know in the comments section below.

Checkendon Wood Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.516061/-1.1590933 or Grid Reference SU5880. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Grazing near Goring

JThomas

Tesco Express, Goring

This building, on the corner of Gatehampton Road and Reading Road, is unmistakeably a former pub - one of many around the country taken over by Tesco for a convenience store. Until it was closed in 2013 it was the Queens Arms, owned by Greene King, and opened by Tesco in August 2017. It is not known exactly when the pub was established; the first known reference was in 1843 but it seems likely that it was more or less contemporary with the nearby railway station opened a few years before.

Stephen McKay

Gatehampton Road, Goring

This is the view of Goring anybody emerging from Goring & Streatley station gets. In this image the main station buildings, protected by a canopy, are on the immediate left with a covered cycle rack beyond. The late afternoon sunshine catches the buildings further up the road, including a former pub now a Tesco Express, while three teenage boys approach having finished school for the day. The National Rail sign, perched on top of a high pole, completes the scene. Although an ancient settlement, Goring began to develop when the railway arrived in the 1830s and is now a sizeable commuter village with a population in excess of 3,000. Streatley is a smaller place connected to Goring by a bridge over the River Thames.

Stephen McKay

The B4009 at Westridge Green

David Howard

The entrance to Westridge Manor Farm

This appears to have been converted to very large houses

David Howard

Field entrance in Westridge Green

David Howard

The B4009, Westridge Green

David Howard

Farmland above the River Thames

Farmland above the River Thames, south of Streatley.

Philip Halling

Farmland, Streatley, Berkshire

Oswald Bertram

Downland, Stichens Green, Berkshire

Oswald Bertram

Country lane, Lower Basildon, Berkshire

Oswald Bertram

Westridge Manor Farm

You are quite high up here - the OS shows a spot-height of 164m nearby. The road is the B4009, which has to negotiate a long, sharp descent to reach the level of the Thames floodplain at Streatley.

Stefan Czapski

Downland arable near Westridge Green

The land may be fairly level, but the elevation here is about 165m. Photo taken on a mild but rather sunless afternoon in December.

Stefan Czapski

Old pollard willows on the river bank, downstream from Streatley

There are some very ancient-looking pollard willows along this stretch of the Thames. These are on private land, so I took a zoom shot from close to the A329. These trees also appear in Bill Nicholls' contribution SU5979 : Island in the river near the right-hand margin.

Stefan Czapski