The Three Copses

Temple Copse, Tinker's Copse and Jock's Copse are three closely linked areas of woodland, located in the Binfield parish of Bracknell. Despite their small size, they are valued as wildlife habitats, providing an oasis within the urban area for the local flora and fauna.

The Three Copses are featured in the Great Places for Circular Walks booklet.

Facilities and key features

The Three Copses:

• are classified as Local Nature Reserves (LNR) and Local Wildlife Sites (LWS)
• Temple Copse is classified as an Ancient Woodland*
• have surfaced paths providing suitable conditions all year round for walking and cycling
• have refreshments, toilets, sports pitches, tennis and basket ball courts and a playground can be found at Jock’s Lane Recreation Ground (a Bracknell Town Council site)

* A term which is used to describe woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England and Wales.

History

These three small ancient copses used to be set in an open rural farmland landscape. House building in the 1990s enclosed the woodland, which had been derelict and unmanaged for quite some time. An old air strip prior to 1930s ran between Jock’s and Tinker's Copse. The name 'Jock' refers to a Scottish vagrant who frequented the copse in the early 1800s (per R Mosses).

Wildlife

The woodland is comprised mainly of oak and hazel and there’s a good range of woodland flora, bird and insect life. Species of notable wildlife value include wild service tree (sorbus torminalis), bullfinch (pyrrhula pyrrula) and ragged robin (lychnis flos-cuculi). Other animals include badgers, roe deer and all three species of woodpecker. Wildlife you might spot includes:

• badgers looking for worms and grubs at dusk
• yellow primroses and carpets of bluebells in spring
• squirrels and jays foraging for nuts in the autumn
• all three species of woodpeckers and tits
• wood mice

Management

The copses are managed in order to protect these precious wildlife habitats and to provide a safe area for members of the public to enjoy. The hazel is coppiced on rotation in order to encourage wildlife and the coppice is used as a sustainable product.

Tinker's and Jock’s Copse are part of the Cut Countryside Corridor, which forms a circular route linking Larks Hill, Piggy Wood and Garth Meadows/Pond. These are being enhanced as Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces (SANGs) to provide an enjoyable natural environment for recreation, away from the Thames Basin Heath Special Protection Area.

How to get there

Car parking is available a short distance away at Jocks Lane Recreation Ground car park, off B3018 Binfield Road, Bracknell, RG12 2BH.

Location map

Get involved

To find out more about getting involved with nature conservation activities in your local area visit:

• Countryside conservation
• Parks and countryside events