100 years ago Hartslock Wood and the land bordering the Thames as far as Gatehampton was described by botanist George Claridge Druce as: ‘A piece of typical chalk wood and turf’. It was recommended for protection because of ‘plants and specially to preserve one of the most beautiful stretches of the Thames and its very charming woodland’.
(Above) The original SPNR survey documents for Hartslock Wood
A contemporary map shows a coloured circle marked as Best Area. Druce was probably careful about describing the ‘plants’ and the ‘Best Area’ because of the colony of rare monkey orchids that flourished here in 1913. Remarkably the ‘Best Area’ is exactly the same steep scarp slope where today hundreds of rare monkey orchids now flower every year.
Not all of the land within the original reserve boundary is maintained today for wildlife. The old mixed yew and beech woodland is in private ownership, with the Thames Path national trail running through it. Combe Fields to the north of the BBOWT nature reserve are Local Wildlife Sites with Open Access. Grassland between Gatehampton Lane and the Thames was ploughed after the Second World War, when local people rescued the orchids, replanting them on land which is now Hartslock nature reserve.
More information on Hartslock Wood
Visit the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust page for Hartslock nature reserve.
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