The Commons | Hartley Wintney Parish Council

The Central Commons

Hartley Wintney has a multitude of beautiful Commons, ranging from Central Common with its majestic oak trees, Cricketers Green, one of the oldest pitches in the country, Hunts Common with its traditional orchard and Phoenix Green with its wooded paths and magnificent veteran Oaks. On Hunts Common you can find the delightful Vaughan Millennium Orchard managed by the Parish Council.
In 2021, the Commons retained its prestigious Green Flag Award for the fifth year and has also been awarded Heritage site accreditation for two years running. This international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.

In 1805 Admiral Collingwood, who was in command of the Navy after the battle of Trafalgar, was appealing to landowners to plant oaks: “What I am most anxious about” he wrote “is the plantation of oak in this country. We shall never cease to be a great people while we have ships and we cannot have ships without timber.”
Lady Mildmay, who had become Lady of the Manor in 1786, seems to have responded to his appeal by instructing her steward in Hartley Row to plant out acorns. From these grew the now famous Mildmay or Trafalgar Oaks. Luckily the wood was never needed and these beautiful trees still stand, giving the village of Hartley Wintney its unique character.

West Green Common, is about 2km from the centre of the village and was described in the original Hampshire Wildlife Trust Tree survey and management proposals as a “site of great local interest” which “should be recognised as one of the important wooded commons of Hampshire”.