The Royal Oak Valley

Location: Yateley

Grid Ref: SU 822 605

Access: Entrances can be found at either end, from Handford Lane and Reading Road and Old Welmore and Beaver Lane, Yateley.

Terrain: A path runs the full length of this linear nature reserve/ local green space.

Facilities: Limited parking can be found at the back of the Royal Oak Public House

The Royal Oak Valley is the latest site to be acquired by Hart Countryside Service to manage for conservation. The site owes its existence to it being particularly wet throughout the year. It acts as a drainage area during heavy storms and has a stream running throughout the Valley, fed from Yateley Common SSSI. Because of this variable water inflow a mosaic of wet willow woodland, alder carr and a wet meadow has evolved over the years.

There is a metalled pathway which runs through the Valley which was designated a Public Right of Way in 2005. Because of its location it can become a little wet and muddy following periods of heavy or prolonged rain.

The project of conserving the wildlife on the site and restoring the Valley to its former glory is an exciting project and has been running for nearly 4 years. Initially the site was cleared of a large amount of rubbish and the pathways opened up and re-instated to encourage people to begin to use the site once more. We rely heavily on volunteers to carryout management within the valley, such as the Yateley Society Conservation volunteers and the Blackwater Valley Conservation volunteers.