Wittenham Clumps
Open 365 days a year!
Come & enjoy the wildlife, views, walking or flying kites on the Clumps.
At the heart of the Northmoor Trust Estaste are two chalk hills: Round Hill and Castle Hill. The two hills are known as the Wittenham Clumps.
Wildlife on the Clumps
Sitting within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Wittenham Clumps have been internationally recognised for their wildlife value. Keep an eye out for abundance of wildlife including the red kites swooping overhead and the muntjac deer in the woods.
Archaeology at the Clumps
Castle Hill was once a Bronze Age hill fort and still has its curved ramparts and ditches from the later Iron Age.
Durin 2003 and 2004 Oxford Archaeology and Channel 4's Time Team spent 3 days excavating trenches across the Clumps. Thousands of important Iron Age finds including pottery, animal bones and several amazingly well preserved human skeletons of an adult and baby were found at the bottom of the hill fort ditch.
Tree on the Clumps
For the best part of 300 years the two hilltops have been recognisable by their beech crowns - the oldest known planted hilltop beeches in England.
By the 1960s it was clear that the trees forming the Clumps were near the end of their lifespan and needed replacement. Between 1985 - 2000 over 2,000 trees were planted to restore and extend Round Hill Clump.
Long term threat of climate change
By the year 2000 it was recognised that climate change might threaten the long term viability of beech trees on the Clumps.
Starting in 2004, planting began on the Clumps to replace the old original beech trees with new mixed species. Even if climate change threatens the future growth of the beech, the mixed species will ensure the surivial of this landmark.
Download one of our guides to find out more about the Wittenham Clumps.
Guided walk around the Norhtmoor Trust Estate (pdf)
Amphibians pdf
Archaeology pdf
Bird Walk pdf
Dragonflies & Damselflies pdf
