Rooks Nest Wood
- Free parking (2m height restriction)
- Disabled parking bays
- Bins
- Meadows and wooded areas
- 1.6km circular walk on surfaced path
- Waymarked link to Barkham Church and footpaths beyond
Where you’ll find it…
Find the free car park on Barkham Ride, Finchampstead, Wokingham, nearest postcode RG40 4EU. Grid reference SU 78875 65814. What3Words: home.losses.catch.
There’s also a pedestrian footpath that starts on Gilbert Way. Find the entrance to this unmarked path at about What3Words: took.sculpture.doll.
N.B. We’ve given the nearest postcode, but recommend using the links to look up the exact location. The centre of a postcode may be up to half a mile from your destination.
What you’ll find there…
Rooks Nest Wood is great for wildlife and makes a lovely walk. With its handy car park and network of footpaths, it’s a nice little place to stop off with the family or the dog. Around 15,000 native trees were planted in 2010/2011, as part of its transformation from farmland to public greenspace, and they’re maturing nicely. This quiet patch has a long history of agricultural grazing, which continues to this day.
If you notice the streams have an orange tinge, don’t be alarmed, it’s perfectly natural! The colour is caused by iron, leached from local sandstones. The water starts out colourless and clear, but as the iron oxidises it turns increasingly cloudy and orange. Just like a chopped up apple that turns brown when it’s exposed to the air!
Rooks Nest Wood has a ‘Local Wildlife Site’ designation for its special fen. Have an eye for botany? Look out for some of the specialist plants, such as Lesser Spearwort, Ragged Robin and Marsh Thistle, that love the boggy patches.
Note: Dog walkers may like to know that the meadows are sometimes grazed. There are two ponds close to the path at bunks.amuse.reds and cans.crust.junior. Some shady areas.
Gallery…
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- Rooks Nest Wood, February 2024
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- Rooks Nest Wood, February 2024
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- Rooks Nest Wood, February 2024
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- Rooks Nest Wood, February 2024
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- Rooks Nest Wood, June 2023
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- Rooks Nest Wood, June 2023
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- Rooks Nest Wood, June 2023
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- Rooks Nest Wood, June 2023
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- Rooks Nest Wood, June 2023
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- Rooks Nest Wood, June 2023
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- Rooks Nest Wood, June 2023
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- Gateway to footpath from Gilbert Way to Rooks Nest Wood, June 2023
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- Information sign at Rooks Nest Wood, June 2023
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- Spindle tree at Rooks Nest Wood, September 2022
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- Pond at Rooks Nest Wood, May 2022
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- Woodland path at Rooks Nest Wood, May 2022
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- Mown path at Rooks Nest Wood, May 2022
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- Mown path at Rooks Nest Wood, May 2022
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- Path at Rooks Nest Wood, May 2022
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- Gravel path at Rooks Nest Wood, May 2022
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- You can take an optional, signposted detour to Barkham Church, May 2022
