Things to see at Selborne Common

We look after 267 acres countryside around Selborne. Selborne Common lies on the west of the village, while the valley meadows and woodland of the Lythes lies beyone St. Mary's Church in the east.

The common

The common is made up of mixed woodland of beech , oak, ash and hawthorn as well as sunny glades and open grassland. The fields called Coneycroft Bottom, Coneycroft and the Wadden are now managed as grassland and they have become rich in flowers that provide valuable nectar for a host of insects and butterflies.

The Hangar

The beech woodland which overlooks the village is called the Hanger. You can climb to the top of the hanger by various paths including the famous Zig Zag and Bostal paths. Your walk will be rewarded with spectacular views across the village to the Lythes and beyond to the Weald and Downs of Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex.

Sheep Down and High Wood

Sheep Down where cattle graze during the summer is an ancient wood pasture where woodland, scrub, glades and grassland form a patch work of habitats. Villagers common rights allowed them to graze livestock and to cut wood from the crowns of trees. High Wood was traditionally managed for coppice to provide fuel and wood for the village.