Stoke Park Wood
Stoke Park Wood to the north-west of the village (a remnant of the Forest of Bere) lies partly in Fair Oak and partly in the neighbouring parish of Bishopstoke. With many bridlepaths running between the two villages via the woods, it is possible to walk from one village to another without setting foot on any other public highway. After a string of murders in the late 1970s the woods were given the nickname "Reaper's Wood". However residents quickly reverted back to its original name as families of the victims found it distressing. The woods cover some 207 hectares (510 acres) and are primarily of evergreen trees; the sandy soil and long grass is home to wildlife including dormice, grey squirrels, pine martens, deer and adders. This forest is the biggest in Eastliegh an has many rivers too.
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Famous quotes containing the words park and/or wood:
“Mrs. Mirvan says we are not to walk in [St. James’s] Park again next Sunday ... because there is better company in Kensington Gardens; but really, if you had seen how every body was dressed, you would not think that possible.”
—Frances Burney (1752–1840)
“If the axe is not sharp, it doesn’t matter how hard the wood is.”
—Chinese proverb.