Common Wood

Wood, Forest in Oxfordshire South Oxfordshire

England

Common Wood

Pasture and woodland, Highmoor With a footpath approaching Highmoor from the north-west.
Pasture and woodland, Highmoor Credit: Andrew Smith

Common Wood is a picturesque forest located in Oxfordshire, England. Covering an area of approximately 100 hectares, it is a popular destination for nature enthusiasts and locals alike. The wood is situated on a gently sloping terrain, with a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees creating a diverse and vibrant ecosystem.

The woodland is known for its rich biodiversity, with a range of plant and animal species calling it home. Ancient oak trees can be found scattered throughout the wood, some of which are believed to be several hundred years old. Bluebells carpet the forest floor during the springtime, creating a stunning display of vibrant colors.

Visitors to Common Wood can engage in a variety of activities, including walking, birdwatching, and picnicking. The well-maintained footpaths offer an opportunity to explore the wood at one's own pace, while designated bird hides allow for peaceful observation of the numerous avian species that inhabit the area. The wood is also home to a small pond, providing a tranquil spot for relaxation and reflection.

In addition to its natural beauty, Common Wood has historical significance as well. It is believed to have been part of a larger medieval hunting forest, and remnants of old boundary ditches can still be seen in certain areas.

Overall, Common Wood presents a delightful retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, offering visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the tranquility of nature and appreciate the wonders of Oxfordshire's woodlands.

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Common Wood Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 51.548468/-1.0169311 or Grid Reference SU6883. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Pasture and woodland, Highmoor With a footpath approaching Highmoor from the north-west.
Pasture and woodland, Highmoor
With a footpath approaching Highmoor from the north-west.
Fingerposts at Highmoor Cross
Fingerposts at Highmoor Cross
The road to Stoke Row Going through Bear Wood
The road to Stoke Row
Going through Bear Wood
Bear Wood, Stoke Row
Bear Wood, Stoke Row
Stoke Row The road becomes Kit Lane but the maps don't give a name till beyond the end of the village.
Stoke Row
The road becomes Kit Lane but the maps don't give a name till beyond the end of the village.
Stoke Row Green
Stoke Row Green
Stoke Row
Stoke Row
Houses in Stoke Row Looking towards Church View.
Houses in Stoke Row
Looking towards Church View.
Church View, Stoke Row
Church View, Stoke Row
Kit Lane, Stoke Row
Kit Lane, Stoke Row
Basset Wood
Basset Wood
Woods north east of Stoke Row
Woods north east of Stoke Row
Nott Wood
Nott Wood
The Maharajah's Well, Stoke Row This is an unlikely looking structure to find in an Oxfordshire village. Its origins lie in the friendship that developed between Edward Anderton Reade, the son of a local squire who spent his working life in India, and the Maharajah of Benares. In Victorian times the villages of this part of Oxfordshire had only limited access to clean water bringing considerable hardship to the poor of the area. Learning of these difficulties, the Maharajah - who had remained loyal to the British during the Indian Mutiny of 1857 - determined that a charity should be set up to relieve the problem. The result was a well dug to a depth of 368 feet, a considerable engineering achievement. To honour the Maharajah, who never visited Britain, a splendid well canopy was built incorporating a gold elephant representing the Hindu god Ganesh. The well was used until the beginning of the Second World War although by that time most houses in the village had a mains connection. Today the well has been renovated and preserved and is maintained by the Maharajah's Well Trust.

The octagonal cottage to the right was built to house the well warden. The last warden died in 1979 since when it has been rented out to supplement the charity's income.
The Maharajah's Well, Stoke Row
This is an unlikely looking structure to find in an Oxfordshire village. Its origins lie in the friendship that developed between Edward Anderton Reade, the son of a local squire who spent his working life in India, and the Maharajah of Benares. In Victorian times the villages of this part of Oxfordshire had only limited access to clean water bringing considerable hardship to the poor of the area. Learning of these difficulties, the Maharajah - who had remained loyal to the British during the Indian Mutiny of 1857 - determined that a charity should be set up to relieve the problem. The result was a well dug to a depth of 368 feet, a considerable engineering achievement. To honour the Maharajah, who never visited Britain, a splendid well canopy was built incorporating a gold elephant representing the Hindu god Ganesh. The well was used until the beginning of the Second World War although by that time most houses in the village had a mains connection. Today the well has been renovated and preserved and is maintained by the Maharajah's Well Trust. The octagonal cottage to the right was built to house the well warden. The last warden died in 1979 since when it has been rented out to supplement the charity's income.
The Maharajah's Well, Stoke Row This is looking under the canopy of the well where the gold elephant takes pride of place. See <a href="https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/7620533">SU6784 : The Maharajah's Well, Stoke Row</a> for a wider view and some historical notes.
The Maharajah's Well, Stoke Row
This is looking under the canopy of the well where the gold elephant takes pride of place. See SU6784 : The Maharajah's Well, Stoke Row for a wider view and some historical notes.
St Pauls Church, Highmoor St Pauls Church in the south-western corner of the gridsquare
St Pauls Church, Highmoor
St Pauls Church in the south-western corner of the gridsquare
Path junction in Greyhone Wood This section of woodland is mixed conifer and deciduous.  It is very dark compared with other woods around, the sun barely penetrating through the canopy.  This section has bridleway designation.
Path junction in Greyhone Wood
This section of woodland is mixed conifer and deciduous. It is very dark compared with other woods around, the sun barely penetrating through the canopy. This section has bridleway designation.
Danger, harvesting operations These signs appear to be here permanently, whether there are any forestry operations or not.  They were still attached to a post that had fallen over.  
The higher sign says "no unauthorised persons beyond this point", but this is a public bridleway with no official diversion in evidence and nothing to prevent you going through.
This section of the woodland is particularly dark with no sunlight from the canopy.
Danger, harvesting operations
These signs appear to be here permanently, whether there are any forestry operations or not. They were still attached to a post that had fallen over. The higher sign says "no unauthorised persons beyond this point", but this is a public bridleway with no official diversion in evidence and nothing to prevent you going through. This section of the woodland is particularly dark with no sunlight from the canopy.
Show me another place!

Common Wood is located at Grid Ref: SU6883 (Lat: 51.548468, Lng: -1.0169311)

Administrative County: Oxfordshire

District: South Oxfordshire

Police Authority: Thames Valley

What 3 Words

///loudness.plates.debater. Near Rotherfield Peppard, Oxfordshire

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Nearby Amenities

Located within 500m of 51.548468,-1.0169311
Stoke Row
Place: village
Wikidata: Q2573220
Wikipedia: en:Stoke Row
Lat/Long: 51.5512365/-1.0207249
Created By: osmeditor2
Lat/Long: 51.5507667/-1.0153233
Created By: osmeditor2
Lat/Long: 51.5511/-1.0197833
Turning Circle
Turning Circle: square
Lat/Long: 51.5512984/-1.0150618
Bus Stop
The Cherry Tree PH
Bus: yes
Naptan AtcoCode: 340001672OPP
Naptan Bearing: W
Naptan CommonName: The Cherry Tree PH
Naptan Indicator: Opposite
Naptan Landmark: Opp Bus Shelter
Naptan NaptanCode: oxfgdagd
Naptan Street: Village Road
Naptan Verified: no
Public Transport: platform
Shelter: no
Source: naptan_import
Lat/Long: 51.5508194/-1.0160803
Bus Stop
The Cherry Tree PH
Bus: yes
Naptan AtcoCode: 340001672OUT
Naptan Bearing: E
Naptan CommonName: The Cherry Tree PH
Naptan Indicator: Outside
Naptan Landmark: Bus Shelter
Naptan NaptanCode: oxfgdaga
Naptan Street: Village Road
Naptan Verified: no
Public Transport: platform
Shelter: yes
Source: naptan_import
Lat/Long: 51.5507864/-1.0152558
Bus Stop
Stag Hall
Bus: yes
Naptan AtcoCode: 340001673OPP
Naptan Bearing: NW
Naptan CommonName: Stag Hall
Naptan Indicator: Opposite
Naptan Landmark: Stag Hall
Naptan NaptanCode: oxfgdadw
Naptan Street: Stoke Row Road
Naptan Verified: no
Public Transport: platform
Source: naptan_import
Lat/Long: 51.5457153/-1.0126017
Bus Stop
Stag Hall
Bus: yes
Naptan AtcoCode: 340001673OUT
Naptan Bearing: SE
Naptan CommonName: Stag Hall
Naptan Indicator: Entrance
Naptan Landmark: Stag Hall
Naptan NaptanCode: oxfgdadt
Naptan Street: Stoke Row Road
Naptan Verified: no
Public Transport: platform
Source: naptan_import
Lat/Long: 51.5457067/-1.0124151
Bench
Backrest: yes
Colour: brown
Material: wood
Seats: 4
Lat/Long: 51.550898/-1.0143532
Information: map
Tourism: information
Lat/Long: 51.5509884/-1.0167537
Barrier: bollard
Lat/Long: 51.5512413/-1.0212948
Bench
Lat/Long: 51.5512935/-1.0213739
Waste Basket
Lat/Long: 51.5512848/-1.0213774
Bench
Lat/Long: 51.5514249/-1.02134
Information: board
Tourism: information
Lat/Long: 51.5514293/-1.0212046
Turning Circle
Lat/Long: 51.5493118/-1.0151596
Crossing
Lat/Long: 51.550072/-1.0146864
Booth: K6
Covered: booth
Man Made: telephone_box
Note: there are plans to fit a defibrillator in this phone box and the telephone sign has been changed to Defibrillator
Lat/Long: 51.550973/-1.0167312
Information: guidepost
Tourism: information
Lat/Long: 51.5509451/-1.0167657
Bench
Lat/Long: 51.5511107/-1.0191619
Defibrillator
Defibrillator Location: outside Stoke Row Village Hall
Emergency: defibrillator
Indoor: no
Lat/Long: 51.5511161/-1.0208262
Tourism: information
Lat/Long: 51.5512209/-1.0207604
Information: guidepost
Tourism: information
Lat/Long: 51.5512306/-1.0193187
Direction: 185
Fixme: survey for panel count
Generator Method: photovoltaic
Generator Output Electricity: yes
Generator Solar Modules: 8
Generator Source: solar
Generator Type: solar_photovoltaic_panel
Location: roof
Power: generator
Lat/Long: 51.5509613/-1.0198809
Direction: 195
Fixme: survey for panel count
Generator Method: photovoltaic
Generator Output Electricity: yes
Generator Solar Modules: 14
Generator Source: solar
Generator Type: solar_photovoltaic_panel
Location: roof
Power: generator
Lat/Long: 51.5520242/-1.0137777
Direction: 215
Fixme: survey for panel count
Generator Method: photovoltaic
Generator Output Electricity: yes
Generator Solar Modules: 10
Generator Source: solar
Generator Type: solar_photovoltaic_panel
Location: roof
Power: generator
Lat/Long: 51.5491184/-1.0186684
Direction: 185
Fixme: survey for panel count
Generator Method: photovoltaic
Generator Output Electricity: yes
Generator Solar Modules: 11
Generator Source: solar
Generator Type: solar_photovoltaic_panel
Location: roof
Power: generator
Lat/Long: 51.5503718/-1.0158802
Direction: 185
Generator Method: photovoltaic
Generator Output Electricity: yes
Generator Solar Modules: 8
Generator Source: solar
Generator Type: solar_photovoltaic_panel
Location: roof
Power: generator
Lat/Long: 51.5503859/-1.0160443
Direction: 185
Generator Method: photovoltaic
Generator Output Electricity: yes
Generator Solar Modules: 4
Generator Source: solar
Generator Type: solar_photovoltaic_panel
Location: roof
Power: generator
Lat/Long: 51.5503942/-1.0161243
Turning Circle
Turning Circle: knuckle
Lat/Long: 51.550462/-1.0150093
Direction: 270
Generator Method: photovoltaic
Generator Output Electricity: yes
Generator Solar Modules: 16
Generator Source: solar
Generator Type: solar_photovoltaic_panel
Location: roof
Power: generator
Lat/Long: 51.5493227/-1.015526
Fixme: solar panels?
Lat/Long: 51.5496908/-1.0152711
Direction: 185
Generator Method: photovoltaic
Generator Output Electricity: yes
Generator Solar Modules: 10
Generator Source: solar
Generator Type: solar_photovoltaic_panel
Location: roof
Power: generator
Lat/Long: 51.550017/-1.0114282
Parking
Lat/Long: 51.5510054/-1.0208232
Wooden Elephant
Artist Name: Peter Leadbeater
Artwork Type: sculpture
Material: wood
Tourism: artwork
Lat/Long: 51.5519113/-1.0197644
The Cherry Tree Inn
Description: Added extra tagging. Details as per pub
Tourism: hotel
Lat/Long: 51.5512573/-1.0161626
The data included in this document is from www.openstreetmap.org. The data is made available under ODbL.

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