Great Ridge Wood
Encyclopedia
Great Ridge Wood, formerly also known as Chicklade Wood, is one of the largest woodlands in southern Wiltshire
. It lies on a chalk
ridge above the River Wylye
, to the north of the village of Fonthill Bishop
and to the south of Corton
and Stockton
, within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
. The wood is recognised for its nature conservation importance through designation as a County Wildlife Site.
Both names for the wood, Great Ridge and Chicklade, are old. the Penny Cyclopaedia of 1843 says "between the Wily and the Nadder
... are two tolerably extensive woods, Grovely Wood
, near Wilton
, and the Great Ridge Wood." The 'Great Ridge Wood' is also referred to in W. H. Hudson's A Shepherd's Life (1910), and he reports of it that in the 19th century the old people of Fonthill Bishop
and other villages were allowed to take from it as much dead wood as they could find.
A roman road
runs from east to west through the centre of the wood.
Two ancient monuments are found within the wood. To the east of the wood, on the same ridge, lies another large block of woodland, Grovely Wood
.
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. It lies on a chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
ridge above the River Wylye
River Wylye
The River Wylye is a classic southern England chalk stream; champagne clear water flowing over gravel. Consequently, it is popular with anglers keen on fly fishing.- Course :...
, to the north of the village of Fonthill Bishop
Fonthill Bishop
Fonthill Bishop is a small village in Wiltshire, England.The village is close to Fonthill Gifford, where William Thomas Beckford built Fonthill Abbey. The estate now belongs to Lord Margadale....
and to the south of Corton
Boyton, Wiltshire
Boyton is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 179, including the village of Corton, which forms part of the parish of Boyton.-Location:...
and Stockton
Stockton, Wiltshire
Stockton is a small village in the Wylye Valley in Wiltshire, England .-Location and extent:The village is close to Codford, south of the A36 road, between the town of Warminster and the city of Salisbury....
, within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs
Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs
The Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers of Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset and Wiltshire. It is the sixth largest AONB in the country....
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
. The wood is recognised for its nature conservation importance through designation as a County Wildlife Site.
Both names for the wood, Great Ridge and Chicklade, are old. the Penny Cyclopaedia of 1843 says "between the Wily and the Nadder
River Nadder
The River Nadder is one of the chalk stream rivers of southern England, much sought after by fly fishermen because of its clear waters and abundance of brown trout. It is one of the main tributaries of the River Avon, rising from a number of springs and small streams at Donhead St. Mary in south...
... are two tolerably extensive woods, Grovely Wood
Grovely Wood
Grovely Wood is one of the largest woodlands in southern Wiltshire. It is situated on a chalk ridge above the River Wylye to the south of the village of Great Wishford, within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, near Wilton
Wilton, Wiltshire
Wilton is a town in Wiltshire, , England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. Today it is dwarfed by its larger and more famous neighbour, Salisbury, but still has a range of notable shops and attractions, including Wilton House.The confluence of the rivers Wylye and Nadder is at...
, and the Great Ridge Wood." The 'Great Ridge Wood' is also referred to in W. H. Hudson's A Shepherd's Life (1910), and he reports of it that in the 19th century the old people of Fonthill Bishop
Fonthill Bishop
Fonthill Bishop is a small village in Wiltshire, England.The village is close to Fonthill Gifford, where William Thomas Beckford built Fonthill Abbey. The estate now belongs to Lord Margadale....
and other villages were allowed to take from it as much dead wood as they could find.
A roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
runs from east to west through the centre of the wood.
Two ancient monuments are found within the wood. To the east of the wood, on the same ridge, lies another large block of woodland, Grovely Wood
Grovely Wood
Grovely Wood is one of the largest woodlands in southern Wiltshire. It is situated on a chalk ridge above the River Wylye to the south of the village of Great Wishford, within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
.