Greenham and Crookham Commons facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Crookham Common
|
|
| Area of Search | Berkshire |
|---|---|
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 280.5 hectares (693 acres) |
| Notification | 1994 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Greenham and Crookham Commons is a 280.5-hectare (693-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) on the southern outskirts of Newbury in Berkshire. The SSSI is in several areas and it is part of the 444-hectare (1,100-acre) Greenham and Crookham Commons nature reserve, which is owned by West Berkshire Council and managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.
In the 1980s Greenham Common was a military base storing nuclear weapons and the location of the Women's Peace Camp, but following the closure of the base it was opened to the public as a nature reserve in 2000. The two commons have the largest area of heathland and acid grassland in the county and other habitats are gorse scrub, broad leaved woodland and water-logged alder valleys. There is a rich variety of invertebrates, such as the white admiral, purple emperor and silver-washed fritillary woodland butterflies.
