We are often asked to explain why we need to manage the Common so The Silchester Management Committee produced this background history report in 1999.

Silchester Common is part of what was an extensive stretch of heath that covered an area from Greenham to Mortimer. The massive increase in population, changes in agricultural practice and fragmentation by new road building has resulted in the loss of 98% of this heathland area since the end of the 18^th century.

Of the remaining 2% in the Basingstoke and NE Hants area, Silchester Common is important because of its diversity of habitat and, along with the adjoining areas of Lord’s Wood and Pamber Forest, makes up an unbroken stretch of  SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) of over 300 Ha (750 acres).

The decision to actively manage the Common was made during the mid 1980s following a long period of  inactivity since the early part of the century when grazing ceased and the Common began  to revert to scrub. It has been argued that this reversion is simply a natural process and should be allowed to continue. However the history of the Hampshire heathlands provides a very different picture. The poor soil on heath always results in patchy woodland and grazing by wild animals ensured that the heaths were not heavily wooded. Early destruction of forests and development of farm land continued to open up the dry heathlands and a commoning system was well developed by the Middle Ages.

Areas of waste land, although owned by the Lords of the Manor, were worked and exploited by local people. These people were eventually granted Right of Common which in Silchester is granted with the dwelling (29 houses in total). Silchester Common has always been privately owned until the last owner gave the land to Silchester Parish Council in 1978. Although the Parish Council have continued the tradition of allowing open access to the Common there was no automatic right of access to common land until the recent changes with the Countryside and Rights of Way Act. Only those householders with Rights of Common had legal right of access and then only for specific uses such as grazing cattle or stock, removal of wood or gravel etc.

The continuing use of the ‘wastes or commons’ ensured that the heaths remained the open areas that we still see today in the New Forest. In other words, our common has always been an open lightly wooded area and it is only as a result of the loss of grazing by both wild and domestic animals and the inactive use of the area by commoners that has resulted in the thick growth of scrub we have today. Aerial photographs from the 1920’s show the whole Common from Pamber Heath to the centre of Silchester without a tree in sight.

Silchester Common was granted SSSI status in 1951 along with Pamber Forest and this is an important status which allows us access to grant aid funding from government and local authorities. Pamber Forest is actively managed by the Hampshire Wildlife Trust and the Forest warden provides us with considerable technical assistance. Along with the assistance and advice from English Nature, the Hampshire Heathlands Project, Hampshire Wildlife Trust and DEFRA we are able to ensure that our management is in line with the aims of the SSSI status to provide a wide variety of habitat for both flora and fauna.

Therefore the consequences of inadequate or nil management are that the heathland rapidly reverts to scrub, as happened on the Common between the 1940’s and the 1980’s, and the valuable variety of wildlife habitats are lost. This, in turn, will lead to loss of the SSSI status and, as has happened in many areas in North Hampshire and Berkshire, leaves the site open to re-development or housing.

We have an asset of considerable value on our doorsteps which we must look after or we will lose it.

For more details of the Management of the Common refer to the “Management Plans” section .