Greenham and Crookham Commons

Greenham Common is globally famous for hosting the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp during the Cold War. The camp was established in 1981 to protest the stationing of American nuclear cruise missiles at the former Royal Air Force station located on the commons. The protests lasted nearly two decades and became one of the most significant peace movements in modern history.

These two adjacent heathland commons are located in southern Berkshire, England, directly adjacent to the town of Newbury. The land sits right alongside the old military airbase, which has since been largely decommissioned. It serves as a major green space and wildlife corridor for the surrounding West Berkshire communities.

Today, the airbase has been largely dismantled and restored to heathland, but a few striking military remnants remain. The most visible is the massive, hardened nuclear bunker that is now used as a cold storage facility. Additionally, keen observers can still spot the outlines of the old runways integrated into the walking paths and restored landscape.

Conservation groups are heavily focused on restoring the lowland heathland ecosystem that thrives on the nutrient-poor, acidic soils. This involves clearing invasive scrub and reintroducing grazing animals to manage the landscape naturally. The restored habitat is crucial for supporting rare ground-nesting birds, reptiles, and specialized heathland insects.