Gallowstree Common/ Kidmore End

The park is off on your right as you drive into Gallowstree Common. As you are coming from Crowmarsh along the A4074 towards Reading keep a look out for the sign to Gallowstree Common, on your left hand side. Turn left, follow the road until you get to Gallowstree Common. 

Find this park on the google map I made for you. 

You will find the park at the first bend in this road:

However, as is the case with most recreation grounds, they can be found near the school - so just look out for a sign for the primary school. 

The sign doesn't do the park justice. It also says you are in 'Kidmore End'. Don't let that confuse you. Gallowstree Common is a hamlet and is 'attached' to Kidmore End in the parish council sense. 

There's a track which goes behind the park and plenty of room to for you car. 

When I arrived a local resident was cleaning up the park. She was very chatty and informed me that there is, in fact, a wooded area where children are able to build dens - proper old skool! It was a bit damp today so I didn't investigate but I fully intend to take my children there as soon as it's warm. 







This park is packed! It has much equipment and it is also suitable for children of all ages (up to 12 years). 

My daughter is desperate to use this! It is as big as it looks. You may wish to steer your very little ones away from this.

...and perhaps towards this:

more equipment suitable for older children...

A lovely little sheltered area for smaller children.

 And baby swings

These balance beams are always popular...

The aforenamed friendly resident tidying up:) 









This little hut is being removed shortly. 

Perhaps there are many visitors to this playground...there are very many places to sit.

Nearby parks: 
Stoke Row, Sonning Common (still to visit), South Stoke, Woodcote, Checkendon, Ipsden, Ewelme, Nettlebed. 

Other things: 

Gallowstree Common is also the home of the 'Reformation' pub. It has a pirates' ship in the garden for children to play on, and also welcomes dogs.

This pub will shortly appear on my 'Pubs with Playgrounds' blog. If you happen to visit the pub, please mention how you came by it. Whereas there are many playgrounds around, the same cannot be said about pubs with playgrounds. I cannot travel long distances to these pubs, and hence let everyone know about them, without some form of financial compensation. 

Other info

Yes, Gallowstree Common was used as a public gallows. These extracts are from the 'Oxfordshire Villages' wesbite: 

"Gallowstree Common is named after on oak tree that used to stand away from other trees and was used, as its name implies, as a gallows. It is thought that the last hanging was in 1825 for sheep stealing. The tree no longer stands and its stump was removed at the time of the village enclosure".

"Gallowstree Common also has its well and the wellhouse is a listed building with low red brick and flint-panelled walls. One side of the wellhouse is completely open for access to the well and its iron winding gear. There are two listed buildings in Gallowstree Common, the other one being The Orchards, which is a Grade II brick and timber framed house with parts of it dating from the C17".

Kidmore End - just down the road:

There is also a pub here, called the New Inn. It is lovely, with a fire, a fantastic garden and some bit of play equipment. As above, I shall be revisiting this pub to take photos. If you do happen to visit, please do mention where you heard about them. 

This is the third well I have discovered gallivanting around. The other two are in  Highmoor Cross and Stoke Row. Stoke Row's well is called the Maharaja's Well because the Maharaja of Benares paid for its installation. I find it interesting because we have plenty of family photos of it. My great grandparents were from there and used the well when growing up).

There are other wells in Gallowstree Common and Ipsden. I shall hunt them down!

Sounds like the hard work it probably was - imagine hauling up water in freezing temperatures. Yikes!









Lovely view from the churchyard (the church was locked and the windows looked like they were covered in plastic. 









I could be wrong but I believe ponds were where villagers collected their water before the wells were drilled.

There are geocaches in both villages. 

They are both truly picturesque.