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Sandhurst Memorial Park and Shepherd Meadows
Sandhurst Memorial Park, an area for sport and informal recreation and Shepherd Meadows, a nature conservation site, are neighbouring sites on the River Blackwater in Sandhurst.
Sandhurst Memorial Park and Shepherd Meadows were delighted to received a Green
Flag Award again in 2005/06
Flag Award again in 2006/07
Flag Award again in 2007/08
Flag Award again in 2008/09
Flag Award again in 2009/10
History and Management
Sandhurst Memorial Park - Since its humble beginning in 1949 when 2.4 hectares of land known as Brookside Field were purchased by Sandhurst Parish Council "for the purpose of a public recreation ground for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Parish of Sandhurst", successive Parish/Town Councils have gained the rights over adjacent farm and woodlands to make the Memorial Park what it is today.
Shepherd Meadows - during medieval times, this area played host to regular hunting parties from nearby Chertsey Abbey. Over the years what is now Shepherd Meadows changed hands many times and, at the turn of the century, it was used by the Royal Military Academy as a training ground for the British Army, with cadets practising their drawing and map-making skills here. In the late 1980s, the College Farm residential development and the building of a large shopping centre on adjacent land provided the opportunity for Bracknell Forest Borough Council to acquire the remainder of the land to complement the existing nature reserve and public open space.
Wildlife
The woodland are dominated by Oak, Ash, and Alder coppice and includes spring displays of Wood Anemone and Dog Violets. The meadows are also rich in animal life with over 600 species of insects. During the spring the Orange tip butterfly darts low over the vegetation in search of the Cuckoo Flower on which it lays its tiny orange eggs. Damsel and dragonflies breed in the ditches and along the riverbanks, and in late summer the meadows echo to the sound of grasshoppers and bush crickets. The meadows become a carpet of wildflowers and plants during the spring and summer months, with golden Meadow buttercups, blue Devil’s-bit Scabious, purple Meadow Thistle and the yellow Birds-foot Trefoil. In July and August the sweet scent of Meadowsweet blossoms produces a heady aroma.
Birdlife at Shepherd Meadows includes flocks of Siskins, Meadow Pipits and Thrushes in winter, while in summer the site is home to breeding Kestrels, Warblers, the Spotted Flycatcher and Woodpeckers. The River Blackwater and the feeder channels attract many waterfowl and wading birds.
Shepherd Meadows
Shepherd Meadows, named after wildlife artist David Shepherd, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the south of the Borough.
Sandhurst Memorial Park
Covering approximately 28 hectares, this site, managed by Sandhurst Town Council, has become one of the premier recreational sites in Bracknell Forest.
Green Flag Award Scheme
The Civic Trust's Green Flag Award Scheme is a national standard for the quality of public parks and green spaces in England and Wales. Sites are judged on eight criteria: 1) A welcoming place 2) Healthy, safe and secure 3) Well maintained and clean 4) Sustainability 5) Conservation and heritage 6) Community involvement 7) Marketing and 8) Management.
In 2004, Bracknell Forest Borough Council teamed up with Sandhurst Town Council to enter Sandhurst Memorial Park and Shepherd Meadows into the scheme - resulting in the first ever joint application Green Flag Award. A management plan for the sites was developed in conjunction with BBOWT (Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust) and the Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership.
The site covers about 100 acres of wet wildflower meadow and woodland straddling the River Blackwater at the point where the counties of Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey meet. Flower-rich meadows are now rare and about one quarter of the species associated with herb-rich grassland in Berkshire can be found at Shepherd Meadows.
Acquired by Bracknell Forest Borough Council in 1990, the site is managed for its nature conservation importance and its recreational and landscape value.
Whether your idea of recreation is sport, walking, nature or sheer relaxation, Sandhurst Memorial Park is the place to visit.
