Widbrook Common
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Widbrook Common by Des Blenkinsopp as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk
Widbrook Common
Image: © Des Blenkinsopp Taken: 1 Dec 2020
An area of marshy grassland owned by the National Trust. The water is part of the White Brook which flows through the common. Two versions of the same name. White or wide? In fact neither. The National trust page https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/maidenhead-and-cookham-commons/features/widbrook-common-at-cookham-commons says "The name Widbrook is derived from the stream that flows through it linking the River Thames and the Strand Water which continues north to Cookham Moor. The stream is now known as the White Brook, which was itself derived from the traditional name for the stream, Withe-brook. A withe, pronounced withy, is a strong flexible willow stem used in thatching and horticulture. It is the willow trees that are still found along the banks of the stream today that gave the common its name." The link also has information about the ancient grazing regime which still goes on here and which has preserved the biodiversity of the site.
Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Image Location
Latitude
51.548647
Longitude
-0.705452