周辺の天然記念物・トップ19

The Brick and Tile Works, established by Charles Cooper in the early 1800s, employed about 150 people and produced bricks, tiles, gargoyles, and pinnacles. The site, which closed in 1967, is now owned by the National Trust and features lowland ponds with diverse aquatic life and a variety of woodland birds and plants.

Burnham Beeches is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, National Nature Reserve, and Special Area of Conservation thanks to its ancient beech woodland and rich wildlife. More than sixty species of plants and animals that call the 927-acre (375 ha) site home are rare or under threat. The historic woodland is also home to relics of times gone by. Located in the southwest of the woodland, you can visit Seven Ways Plain hill fort which dates to the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. Neighbouring film studios have used the Beeches as a shooting location in various productions such as Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Goldfinger, and Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.

In the Long Garden, you'll find huge beds of seasonal flowers displayed amongst a collection of quirky topiary and sculptures Colourful combinations to come Every Spring and Summer there's a new floral scheme creating a mass of colour within the four box-edged central beds and along the bricked walled border. Space for sculpture This aptly named garden was created by William Waldorf Astor in 1896 to display some of his classical sculpture collection. Notable pieces include four 18th-century stone characters from the Commedia dell’ Arte in the centre of the garden, two ancient Egyptian baboons and the striking marble figures of Nautica and Marco Polo at the eastern end. Italian inspiration Taking elements from gardens he’d seen in Italy, Lord Astor created the long, narrow central beds and planted climbers along the boundary wall. Originally two unbroken beds, it was his son and daughter-in-law, Waldorf and Nancy, who modified the design to make four beds with a large central space as we see today. Norah and Nancy During the inter-war years, Nancy Astor worked closely with socialite-turned-gardener Norah Lindsay to devise herbaceous schemes for the Long Garden. Designed to peak for Ascot week, the central beds were filled with bright red, yellow and orange blooms in the centre with the colours fading to pinks, creams and mauves towards the edges. Although different, today’s modern scheme ensures a striking spectacle in spring and summer. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cliveden/features/the-long-garden-at-cliveden

Robin Hood's Arbour There are no known connections linking the legend of the outlaw, Robin Hood with Robin Hood’s Arbour. Indeed Robin Hood’s Arbour dates from much earlier times. The feature is an Iron Age rectilinear enclosure which is thought to have been a farmstead. An archaeological excavation in 1890 revealed ‘samian ware’, a type of Roman pottery produced mainly in Gaul. Further excavations in 1960 recovered some Iron Age pottery and some wattle marked daub. Other finds comprised flint implements including a Palaeolithic hand axe. These finds can be seen in the Reading Museum.

The Brick & Tile Works The Brick and Tile Works was established by Charles Cooper in the early 1800s, exploiting a local deposit of Reading Clay. At its peak, the Works employed about 150 people, and cottages were built in Golden Ball Lane for the skilled craftsmen. In 1950, the Cooper family sold the Works to the Maidenhead Brick and Tile Company, and the site eventually closed in 1967. In addition to bricks and tiles, the works produced gargoyles and pinnacles, many of which can be seen in the locality today. The National Trust acquired the site in 1989. The industrial activity left a legacy of lowland ponds, inhabited by an impressive range of aquatic invertebrate fauna, including several species of dragonfly. There are also three species of newt and a wide range of woodland birds and other aquatic or semi-aquatic plants and animals.

The wetland meadows of Cock Marsh are very important for rare plant species, breeding waders and overwintering birds. Part of the site is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The steep chalk grassland swiftly changing into marshy, acid meadows has created an ecosystem of rare and interesting species. As part of the historic channel of the Thames, the ponds here support specialist plants like water violet, marsh arrowgrass, marsh stitchwort, marsh pennywort and water hemlock. The rare sedge Cyperus fuscus (brown galingale) is found here and in only a handful of other sites in Great Britain. It relies on cattle to tread or poach the ground on the pond edges to create the perfect habitat to grow. The cattle here work hard to help to maintain a rich botanical diversity of grassland habitat. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/maidenhead-and-cookham-commons/trails/cookham-and-cock-marsh-walk