Hartlebury Common facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Hartlebury Common
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| Area of Search | Hereford And Worcester |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SO 824707 |
| Interest | Biological/Geological |
| Area | 90.2 ha |
| Notification | 1955, 1986 |
Hartlebury Common is a special natural area in Worcestershire, England. It's a type of open land called a heath, found near the town of Stourport-on-Severn. This area, along with Hillditch Coppice, is so important that it's called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It's protected for its amazing plants, animals, and rocks. The whole SSSI covers about 90 hectares (229 acres).
Many different wild plants grow here, and it's a fantastic home for insects, especially beautiful butterflies and moths. Hartlebury Common and Hillditch Pool are also a Local Nature Reserve, which means they are important places for wildlife and for people to enjoy nature.
You can easily visit the common using several car parks. It's a popular spot for people who enjoy horse riding, walking, jogging, and studying nature. There are special trails marked out for walkers and horse riders, like the "heather trail" and the "horse route."
Contents
Where is Hartlebury Common?
This special natural area is located on the southeast side of Stourport-on-Severn. You can get there from a few different car parks:
- The Wilden Top car park on the B1495 road (Stourport to Hartlebury).
- The Lower Poollands car park off Titton Lane.
- Three other car parks on the A4025 road (Stourport to Worcester).
What's in the Name?
The name "Hartlebury" comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word, Heoertlabyrig. This word means "Hill of the Deer," which suggests that deer might have lived here a long time ago.
The Geology of the Common
Hartlebury Common sits on top of sand that was blown here by the wind during the Quaternary period. This sand covers two old river terraces of the River Severn. Below these layers are older rocks called Bunter and Keuper Sandstone.
The common is part of the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark, which started in 2004. A Geopark is a special area recognized for its important geology and landscapes. This Geopark covers a huge area of about 1250 square miles across four counties: Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire.
The rocks and landforms in this area have been known to be important for many years. There are 13 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and 179 Local Geological Sites (LGS) within the Geopark. The Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark is one of only seven Geoparks in the whole UK!
Ancient Discoveries at the Common
Hartlebury Common holds many clues about the past. You can find old stone banks, historic trackways (sometimes called 'holloways' because they are worn down like sunken paths), and old post-medieval quarries where stone was dug out. There are also pools that contain ancient environmental deposits, which can tell us about what the area was like long ago. The site even has the remains of a 19th-century rifle range.
Archaeologists have also found evidence of a large circular area with an earth bank. This could have been an old signaling post, a place for hunting, a small castle, or even a religious site. Very old tools and objects from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods (Stone Age) have also been discovered here.
