Encompasses Maidenhead Thicket and the common land at Pinkneys Green and Cookhamdean Common as well as a few adjacent woodlands. This BOA has recently been extended to include the Woolley Firs Estate which is to be managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Willdife Trust. Some of the estate will remain as farmland, but will hopefully enter into a Higher Level Stewardship agreement with options to benefit the farmland birds such as Yellowhammer, Skylark and Corn Bunting.

The new extension increases the size of the BOA to 284.5ha

Geology: Chalk in the south with Lambeth Group (Reading Beds) in the north of the area.

Topography: The area is largely quite flat.

Biodiversity:

• Woodland and scrub: Maidenhead Thicket is largely secondary woodland and tall scrub. There are two areas of ancient woodland next to Cookhamdean Common.


• Grassland: There is small area of acid grassland at Maidenhead Thicket. The commons have remnant grassland habitats.


• Other habitats: There is remnant parkland habitat at Pinkneys Green. The new extension includes areas of farmland, including hedgerows. There are also traditional orchards.

Access: Most of the area has open access.

Targets and Opportunities: Woodland management, grassland restoration and management. Much of the land is owned by the National Trust providing potential for habitat restoration. The new BOA extension includes land which will be managed by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.