Checkendon, Reading, Oxfordshire

Pocket's Piece Wood is a wood renowned for its bluebells that carpet the forest floor in spring. Combined with the nature of the trees and the wider landscape setting this makes the wood very photogenic.

The woodland is in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is also an Ancient and Semi Natural Woodland, indicating that there has been woodland cover at this location since pre-1600.

This beech dominated broadleaved woodland rises gently northwards on a gentlest of slopes away from Emmens Lane. It comprises mature beech, wild cherry (including a number of unusually large specimens), ash, occasional oak, field maple and silver birch. There are few gaps in the canopy. Underneath these gaps there are patches of knee-high natural regeneration of beech. Stewardship of these saplings would assist in the development of a younger age group of trees. The understory is otherwise composed by managed holly.

The wider context is that this compact woodland forms part of a wider mosaic of other interlinking woodlands resulting in a forest of scale and presence. This includes the mixed conifer: broadleaved Ipsden Wood to the north and the broadleaved dominated Checkendon Common and Pittmans Common woods to the south. It is a quiet location part surrounded by woodland with occasional fields bounded by mature hedges. Views are intimate, being of the nearby woods and glimpses to the fields and occasional houses to the west. Emmers Lane is designated and signposted as a “Quiet Lane”.

General

Method of sale: Pocket’s Piece is offered for sale as a whole by private treaty.

Wayleaves, easements and rights of way: The property is being sold subject to and with the benefit of all rights including; rights of way, whether public or private, light, support, drainage, water and electricity supplies and other rights and obligations, easements and quasi-easements and restrictive
covenants and all existing and proposed wayleaves for masts, pylons, stays, cables, drains, water and gas and other pipes whether referred to in these particulars or not.

Designations: The wood is designated under CRoW (Countryside Right of Way Act 2000) as historic common land, as are much of the surrounding woods, and therefore allows public access.

Sporting, timber and mineral rights: Sporting rights are owned, not exercised, and included in sale. Minerals rights are owned and included in sale, except as reserved by statute.

Overage: The woodland will be sold with an overage and any development will be subject to a 30% uplift clause, with a duration of 30 years from the date of sale, with any uplift being payable to the estate of the current owners. These covenants reflect the owner’s intent that the woodland retains its characteristics for successive generations.

Services: We have not been made aware of any services connected to the land.

Covenants and/or restrictions: There are restrictions/covenants listed on the Land Registry Title deed.

Further details are available upon request from the vendor’s agent.

The owner will sell the property with a restrictive covenant such that the woodland will be sold as one lot, and sub lotting the wood beyond its 2023 composition, as noted on the November 2023 Land Registry entry, is not permissible.

Mobile coverage/broadband: Information can be found here

Fixtures and fittings: All items usually regarded as fixtures and fittings and equipment are specifically excluded from the sale.

Local authority: South Oxfordshire District Council (southoxon.gov.uk); Oxfordshire County Council (oxfordshire.gov.uk).

VAT: Any guide price quoted or discussed is exclusive of VAT. In the event that a sale of the property, or any part of it, or any right attached to it, becomes a chargeable supply for the purposes of VAT, such tax will be payable in addition.

Health and safety: For your own personal safety please be aware of hazards within the woodland when viewing.

Solicitors: GHP Legal, 21 The Cross, Oswestry,Shropshire, SY11 1PN

Postcode: RG8 0TS