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The Great Britain Guide

Wildlife reserves · South East England

Snelsmore Common

Free admission

Snelsmore Common — Nature reserve near Newbury, Berkshire.

Snelsmore Common, wildlife reserves in South East England

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
2 h–4 h
Best time of year
Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
Nearest railway station
Newbury · 4.4 km
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

About

Snelsmore Common is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: Site of Special Scientific Interest. Wikidata describes it as: "Nature reserve near Newbury, Berkshire". Coordinates: 51.4361°, -1.3396°.

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Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Snelsmore Common SSSI
  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Lambourn SSSI
  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Kennet SSSI
  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: North Wessex Downs

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Snelsmore Common is a 104-hectare (260-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Newbury in Berkshire. It is owned by West Berkshire Council and managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust. This is a country park which has diverse habitats, including dry heath, wet heath, bog, birch woods and ancient semi-natural broadleaved woodland. The bog has a 5,000 year old layer of peat which has been studied stratigraphically to show changes in ancient land use and vegetation. An area of wet alder woodland has many lichens, including a rich community which grows on trees, such as Parmelia caperarta, Pertusaria pertusa and Lecanactis abietina.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Coordinates
51.4361, -1.3396
Parish
Winterbourne
Postcode
RG20 8AP
Parliamentary constituency
Newbury
Nearest railway station
Newbury4.4 km
Official site
www.bbowt.org.uk

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Snelsmore Common?
Snelsmore Common is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode RG20 8AP), in the parish of Winterbourne.
Is Snelsmore Common a listed building?
Snelsmore Common is officially recognised as Site of Special Scientific Interest listed.
Is Snelsmore Common a protected site?
Yes — Snelsmore Common is part of the Snelsmore Common SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the River Lambourn SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Is Snelsmore Common free to visit?
Yes, Snelsmore Common is free to enter.
How do I get to Snelsmore Common?
The nearest railway station is Newbury, about 4.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode RG20 8AP.
Are dogs allowed at Snelsmore Common?
Most wildlife reserves allow dogs on lead only, with restrictions during ground-nesting bird season (March-July). Check signage at the reserve.