The Unicorn - Route 1

(S/E) Start from the car park of The Unicorn and walk left past the front of the pub and down the main road towards Sonning Common.

(1) After 300m turn left on to a side road, past Peppard House – note the interesting sculpture in the garden and further on the aptly named ‘The Old Cottage’ opposite the cricket pitch. Follow the road round to the right and observe some fine tree specimens in the garden of the Manor House, including an old false acacia. After the metalled road surface ends, continue to follow the track round a long left hand bend ignoring two footpaths off to the right. As the track straightens take the footpath on the right that takes a windy route downhill. Keep to the same path and bear left when other paths come in from the right then walk up to a minor road.

(2) Cross the road and slightly to the left follow the bridleway through a continuation of the woods. For about 400m the track follows the boundary of a flat area with banks around it. (Does anyone know what this area might have been once?). After 400m the track crosses another track and passes through fields up along the dry valley bottom. (The views here are exceptional and it is worth taking a short rest to take in the panorama. Further along the path the hedge has an interesting mixture of species, including the usual blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel and dog rose, but also a lot of wild gooseberry and spindle which has very attractive but deadly poisonous pink-orange fruits in autumn).

(3) At the end of the fields the path enters a mature beech wood, follow the path for 300m then take the left fork up the hill and along the field edge and left again near the top of the hill.

(4) Turn left at the lane (Colmore Lane) that links Witheridge Hill with Peppard. As you walk along the road, Kingwood Common is on the right hand side of the road. Continue to walk along the road for about 1km after which you will arrive back at the Unicorn. (S/E)

Before the Second World War Kingwood Common was a rare ‘lowland heath’ habitat used by those with common grazing rights for rough grazing. Grazing largely stopped during the war, as the shepherds were fighting and dying for King and country. Also the northern section of the common was used as a camp for US troops, the remains of which are still visible. After the war grazing on the common ceased eventually in the 1950s and the species of rich heather and gorse has given way to poor quality mixed woodland. In places however trees have been felled by conservation volunteers and Sonning Common’s Green Gym. When the topsoil was removed seeds of heather and gorse were found to be still viable after 70-80 years.