Burghfield Brook

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Burghfield Brook is a small stream in southern England. It starts on Wokefield Common, between the villages of Mortimer and Burghfield Common, and flows east along the northern edge of the common. It runs through two small lakes into a shallow valley called Burghfield Slade and ends in a reservoir south of Auclum Copse. The brook forms part of the boundary between Burghfield to the north and Wokefield to the south.

The brook has several sources. One rises near Bunces Lane on Wokefield Common and another to the southwest of the springs, flowing east to Pullen’s Pond. A third source appears on Auclum Copse and flows south to the reservoir. Near James’s Farm in Grazeley Green, Burghfield Brook is joined by Lockram Brook, and the The Teg is another nearby tributary. After meeting these streams, it heads toward the northern edge of the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Burghfield.

Historically, the brook’s path was affected by nearby industry. In 1938 the Ministry of Defence bought farmland to build ROF Burghfield, a Royal Ordnance Factory for filling armaments. In 1954 the site became part of the Atomic Weapons Establishment and worked on Blue Steel missiles. In the early 1970s the brook was diverted along the southern boundary of ROF Burghfield and then rejoined its old course near Burnthouse Bridge.

Nature and environment are important along the brook. About 150 acres of Wokefield Common are managed as a nature reserve, with habitats kept to protect heathland. Pullen’s Pond and Dragonfly Pond support dragonflies and damselflies. The area near James’s Farm is known for flooding risks, and the Environment Agency monitors water quality. In 2019 the ecological status of Burghfield Brook was not rated as good, mainly because of discharges from industry.