Shared description
Skipwith Common
This is part of the Skipwith Common Nature Reserve, an island in the Vale of York - very much alike to the New Forest, albeit on a smaller scale. It is one of the last few remaining areas of historic heathland remaining in the North of England.
A huge variety of plants and animals depend on the 270 hectares of open wet and dry heath, ponds, bogs and woodland found across the Common. The lowland heath is a manmade landscape forged by our ancestors' axes and spades.
Longhorn cattle, Hebridean sheep and Exmoor ponies roam around the site helping to keep the Common open.
During the Second World War, the Common was used as an airfield to train pilots to fly bombing missions over Europe. The old runways and bomb storage facilities are still visible, providing a home for wildlife.
A huge variety of plants and animals depend on the 270 hectares of open wet and dry heath, ponds, bogs and woodland found across the Common. The lowland heath is a manmade landscape forged by our ancestors' axes and spades.
Longhorn cattle, Hebridean sheep and Exmoor ponies roam around the site helping to keep the Common open.
During the Second World War, the Common was used as an airfield to train pilots to fly bombing missions over Europe. The old runways and bomb storage facilities are still visible, providing a home for wildlife.
by Chris Heaton
Created: Tue, 28 Oct 2025, Updated: Tue, 28 Oct 2025
14 images use this description: (all images taken in 2025)
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