Hands Off Hartlebury Common

The group was formed with 24 original members: The following comments are from new members representing households who have since joined. There are additional households who have joined the group but did not want to post a comment. Last updated 7th December. Thank you all for your support.

Joined 14/11/09: Kingwood Common is a wild and free place enjoyed by many people. It must not be allowed to be taken over for scientific purposes against the wishes of a large number of the people who most use it. A way must be found to care for and preserve the Common without resorting to fencing and cattle and the felling of trees.

Joined 15/11/09: Why when we are trying to stop the destruction of the rain forest for grazing land are we turning yet more and more of our own country to grazing land! We need more wild areas, where our natural habitat can develop, grazing by cattle is not natural! Heathland may disappear but without mans involvement it would not exist at all. This craze with grazing should be resisted at all costs

Joined 19/11/09: Kingwood Common is a joy to walk in. Why would any one want it enclosed.

Joined 19/11/09: I walk my dog most days on the Common. Cattle are unpredictable, especially with dogs so it would make an existing tranquil area of great beauty potentially unsafe to walk in. Also, will the small deer be given keys to the gates to get in?

Joined 21/11/09: I walk on the common every day. I would like to keep it the way it is.I believe the fencing and cattle would be counter productive, it would discourage wildlife, the cattle will not eat the bracken but would eat the heather the conservators claim they want to encourage.

Joined 22/11/09: In an rural area, it is essential to retain some natural 'openess' - ie not have everything fenced off. There is too much control in our lives - a little bit of freedom is important to us all.

Joined 23/11/09: I haven't been to Kingwood Common very often, but I think it would be a shame for the Common and everyone who uses it if this enclosure and grazing goes ahead. In addition, I am aware that a lot of people are scared of cows, and will not enter fields where there are cows - the proposed grazing could deter many visitors. Good luck with the campaign.

Joined 23/11/09: Come on, we CAN do it!!!

Joined 24/11/09: I walk my dog on the common every day. It is a beautiful unspoilt area which will be ruined by the proposed fence and cattle.

Joined 30/11/09: The Kingwood Common is beautiful and I have been lucky to enjoy its beaut and the wildlife which is part of its existence. I don't think humans should be trying to interfere with nature ... nature will do what is best for its environment. Good Luck.

Joined 1/12/09: More strength to our elbow!

Joined 1/12/09: We at ..... strongly oppose any fencing in of the common for any reason. I recall Wimbledon Common having similar proposals which in the end lead to speculators wanting to build houses on it. Can you see Clapham Common being fence in? Regards ...... and ........

Joined 2/12/09: I am opposed to any enclosure of Kingwood Common.

Joined 2/12/09: Both of us here fundamentally disagree with the fencing in of the common, and the grazing of cattle there. Surely this is not the right answer for a problem we were unaware existed. It clearly needs expert advice, since there is a lot of conflicting information going on. There has to be a more cost-effective 'open common' friendly solution? Common land is supposed to be open, by its very definition?

Joined 3/12/09: My husband xxxxx xxxxx and I opposure the enclosure of Kingwood Common.

Joined 3/12/09: What a waste of money!

Joined 3/12/09: I would like to object to the fencing off of Kingwood Common

Joined 4/12/09: As I live directly adjacent to the common in the heart of the woods, I am, unsurprisingly, opposed to fencing the common! During the 20?+ ears I have live here, my family and I have taken great deal of pleasure from the woods and common. Leave them as they are!

Joined: 3/12/09: I have lived here at Kingwood Common since 1958 and do not want to see the common fenced.

Joined: 3/12/09: I was once many years ago a Common Conservator, this proposal was investigated throughly at the time and dropped as totally impractical. I am saddened to see it raised again and suprised. It saddens me.

Joined 3/12/09: I was once in favour of the proposal but now see it in a different light, well done.

Joined 4/12/09: Agree with the 3rd paragraph, re the proposed fencing, blight and total nonsense!

Joined 4/12/09: 6 Cows.... 4 months.... 36 hectares - someone can't add up!

Joined 4/12/09: Re our recent leaflet; I think the proposed enclosure is a rediculous waste of money not even achieving the required object.

Joined 5/12/09: I agree that the common should NOT be fenced in. The common should remain an open space.

Joined 5/12/09: We totally support your quest to prevent the fencing of the common land.

Joined 4/12/09: I oppose the enclosure of the Common. I would oppose this for the reasons you have outlined. I think that one of the amazing benefits we enjoy living in this area is the right to stroll through the commons, and I would not want to see this restricted unnecessarily. Cattle can be very unpredictable as you rightly point out, particularly if dogs are about. I join the Sonning Common health walks on occasions and only recently we were unable to walk across our usual footpath owing to the presence of curious and therefore quite dangerous young steers and had to make a detour. I hope that you get plenty of support for the Preservation Group and indeed, that the Parish Council continue to hold the line.

Joined 5/12/09: We totally support your quest to prevent the enclosure of this and other common land.

Joined 5/12/09 We fully suppot your fight to preserve your common land. We walk our dog regularly through the common and thoroughly enjoy it.

Joined In complete agreement with everything said in the recent news sheet. Fencing in the commons would spoil the enjoyment of the area for many people.

Joined 5/12/09: We support your aims and wish to see the proposal to fence the common thrown out.

Joined 6/12/09: The proposal to fence the comm to graze 6 cows must be the most lunatic idea floated in the whole of 2009. It might even get a few votes in the 2009 Darwin awards for stupidity.

Joined 6/12/09: I walk my dogs on the common and would hate to see cattle or a fence on it. The beauty of Kingwood Common is its total beauty in a world with so many rules and regulations!

Joined 6/12/09 by telephone: Have lived here for 40 years, I have had land and cattle. This idea is rediculous, why are they persuing this.

Joined 6/12/09 by telephone: I would like to join your group, have been speaking out about this proposal for over a year. They do not want to listen, I have tried.

Joined 7/12/09 by telephone: We live on the common and it seems they quote by-laws when it suits them and then happily proceed to overturn an act of parliament passed to protect the common against enclosure. There are important Health and Safety issues, re fencing and cattle. These cannot be ignored. We know of another area that was fenced as part of an 'improvement' scheme and then as the fencing deterred people using the area it was later passed as a suitable site for building houses - as they stated people did not use the area.

Joined by telephone 7/12/09: Have lived here for many years and oppose the enclosure of the common. We thank you for your efforts and good luck.

Joined 7/12/09: We oppose enclosure of the common, it will be the thin end of a rapidly expanding wedge.

Joined 7/12/09: The Common is a place of peace and tranquility. The introduction of cattle and fencing will completely alter the ambiance. The cost surely cannot be justified. Common sense must prevail!

Joined 8/12/09: I have read your circular and my whole family are in complete agreement with your comments. We have enjoyed walking our dogs through Kingwood Common for over thirty years and have also ridden along the bridleways for the same period. We are great walkers and over the years we have found that cows have become more aggressive - especially where dogs are concerned - we have presumed it is due to the change in husbandry and lack of contact with humans in general compared to days gone by. Also what paths are there will get much more churned up as all animals, including cows will tend to walk on the path rather than through undergrowth!!!


Joined 8/12/09: We would like to object in the strongest possible weay to the proposed 'fencing-in' of Kingwood Common. In our opinion, it is very much the wrong solution to a problem not that serious. The common is an area of outstanding natural beauty and to fence it in as proposed would tend to convert it from natures wonderful countryside to more like an urban park. My wife originally lived on Kingwood Common and together we have regularly walked the area for the past 50 years or so (like many, many othher people). Free-roaming cattle and dog walkers do not mix, as proven by the number of people injured over the years by un-settled cattle. If, amazingly, fencing needs to be erected, then could it not be confined to a few small individual areas, where theory says grazing would be beneficial. A better way would be to call for more volunteers to keep the Common as it has been for the past years. We are certain there would be no shortage of respondents. Alternatively, leave well alone and let the Common remain as one of natures rare un-spoilt reserves. Please let us know who we can help further.


Joined 9/12/09: An bad idea that has not been thought through nor does it seem as though the real alternatives for sustainable management of the commons been considered.

Joined 9/12/09: My husband and I and our two doggies enjoy walking Kingwood Common very much. It would be a real pity to lose the freedom, calm and peace which we benefit during our monthly few hours on the common. We oppose the plan for fencing.

Joined 10/12/09: We cannot see that there is any benefit to stocking the common with livestock. Livestock will destroy the habitat of other species both invertebrates and vertebrates. In whose interest is fencing the common? A Management/Environmental plan should be carried out - A similar project has recently been carried out for both Odiham Common and Hazeley Heather in Hampshire. see www.hart.gov.uk

Joined 10/12/09: I am totally opposed to the completely unecessary waste of public money how ever it has been obtained. If it is a trade of between a few thistles or 3 kilometres of fencing plus g then lets keep the thistles!!!

Joined 12/12/09: As a resident of Kingwood, I agree that it is wrong to enclose the Common. The whole purpose of Common land is that it is easily accessible to all. I walk a lot around our area, including Kingwood Common, and am not at all in agreement with putting cows in an area open to the public. Surely the cost of insurance against injury or death caused by cows would also be expensive. Is the next step to start enclosing other common areas in the parish??? And what effect will this have on exisiting wildlife - there are several groups of deer, Roe and Munjac who roam the area quite freely. More fences could cause deer to panic when crossing the road if cars are about and the deer cannot easily run into the woods. You have my support for your campaign.

Joined 10/12/09: I register my protest of the prpoosed enclosure of Kingwood Common. I have lived in the area all my life and it seems a shame that this common ground is going to be sectioned off and at a large cost which I believe could be spent more wisely. If it is sectioned off then in years to come private parties will then claim it as their own and it will be taken away completely from the public. All for the sake of a few cows and some maintenance!

Joined 13/12/09: This proposed scheme is ludicrous, not only will it disadvantage local people wishing to enjoy the tranquility of the common, but it is already wasting taxpayers money (DEFRA) on futile and counterproductive planning and PR exercises to support these self-serving 'experts' who seem to be seeking to justify their existence of various quangos. We do not want or need this wasteful intervention into rural life in Kingwood!

Joined 13/12/09: I oppose the fencing in of the common. I live adjacent to the common and first came to it on my honeymoon in 1962. It is a delightful place to walk and a haven for wild animals. I walk the area daily but slowly with a stick. To fence in the common with multiple gates would be a great imposition on all users. In my view the cost of the clearance of the land and the provision of grazing for cattle is totally unjustified and will lead to the nature of the common being totally destroyed.

Joined 14/12/09: We strongly object to any enclosure of Kingwood Common. It should be open access as it has been for many many years. It has been successfully managed over that time without the need to resert to (temporary) cattle and expensive fencing and doesn't need to change for the worse now.

Joined 15/12/09: I would like to register my protest about the proposed enclosure of Kingwood Common. It will be so unsightly, not to mention costly to do this and maintain it. If they need animals to graze there, how about some goats on long leashes such as they have on the continent. I agree with all your observations in your recently drop, regards

Joined 21/12/09: The proposals to enclose the common with fencing and gates will ruin this beautiful area that many of us enjoy. Other methods of maintaining the area must be explored.

Joined 28/12/09: Ridiculous situation. Possible minor advantage for a few people and a major disadvantage for many.

Joined 4/02/10: I hate any form of enclosure of common land. The additon of livestock will undoubtedly result in exclusion because I for one will not walk in a field with cows in it, they terrify me. Don't give up the fight