| Wokefield | |
|---|---|
| Hamlet andcivil parish | |
 Wokefield Park | |
  Wokefield Location withinBerkshire | |
| Population | 416 (2011 Census)[1] |
| OS grid reference | SU677660 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | READING |
| Postcode district | RG7 |
| Dialling code | 0118 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Royal Berkshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| UK Parliament | |
| 51°23′39″N1°01′33″W / 51.394138°N 1.025798°W /51.394138; -1.025798 | |
Wokefield is ahamlet andcivil parish in theWest Berkshire district ofBerkshire, England, south ofReading. Theparish includes the hamlets ofGoddard's Green andBloomfield Hatch. It also includes part of the former parish ofSulhamstead andGrazeley.
To the north of the parish areBurghfield and Burghfield Common, to the east isShinfield, and to the south areStratfield Mortimer andMortimer Common. It lies between 40 m (130 ft) and 95 m (312 ft) above sea level.
Wokefield Common is an area of mixed woodland on the northern border of the parish. It has been declared a Wildlife Heritage Site byWest Berkshire Council's Countryside Service, and is described as a quiet site with a network of paths leading through tall pine and broadleaf woodland, ponds, small areas ofheather and rich wet gullies. Of particular significance are theheathland areas which support rare species includingslowworms,grass snakes andadders.[2] The 60-hectare (0.60 km2) site is jointly managed by the Countryside Service, the landowner andBerkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.[3] The main entrance is on Goring Lane on the outskirts ofBurghfield.[4] Several publicbridleways and public footpaths cross the common.[citation needed] There are several smaller woods and coppices, including Pitchkettle Wood, Rookery Wood, Bell Copse and Pond Wood. Much of the rest of the parish is agricultural and there are several farms in the parish.[citation needed]
Burghfield Brook lies at the northern border of Wokefield Common. A feature of this watercourse is Pullens Pond, formed where the brook is dammed by a forest access road within the common. To the east of this area the brook continues into a small valley, Burghfield Slade, which contains a larger reservoir. It then continues to the northeast, leaving the parish, and feeds intoFoudry Brook.Lockram Brook runs northeast through the parish via Millbarn Pond, joining Burghfield Brook nearGrazeley Green.
The 18th-centurymansion ofWokefield Park was the home ofAlfred Palmer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It later served as St Benedict's School before becoming a community home. It is now a hotel and conference centre with its own golf course.[5] The building is a Grade II*listed building.[6]
Media related toWokefield at Wikimedia Commons
