CHENEY LONGVILLE
An interesting area of open hillside, woodland and river
This is an interesting site running through a very old village on the hillside above the River Onny, with various areas of woodland and winding back along the river. It is a good area to explore and there are lots of paths depending on your available time. The tracks go through many patches of woodland, so if you don’t know the area it might be wise to take a compass to keep you on track. The name Cheney Longville comes from around 1395 when Roger de Cheney, the Lord of the Manor, was granted a licence to crenellate (or licence to fortify) his Manor House at what was then Longfeld. Fortified manor houses were sometimes known as castles. So what are we going to see here? Up the hedged lane to the village you will see common birds but keep glancing at the sky. The village itself hosts common birds such as House Sparrow, Blackbird and Starlings, and as you walk up towards the woodland, you will see lots of Pheasants. Woodland birds include Goldcrest, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Treecreeper. Along the River Onny is another range of birds to see. This is a good all-year site, so it is worth a visit at any time of year.