Peppard Common (46 acres) is mostly open grassland and heath and the grass is cut every other year – one half one year, the other half the next to encourage reseeding of wild flowers. A further 6.8 acres formerly were part of the common, but in 1946 this was given to the village as ‘a public open space and War Memorial Playing Field for the village of Peppard and for no other purpose’. This now controlled by the Parish Council. There is little or no ancient (ie pre 1600) woodland – the common was laid out with a 9 golf course from late 19th Century until the 2nd World War. It lies on the route of an ancient track that connected Henley with Goring following Pack & Prime Lane out of Henley, through Hernes Farm, to the south of Rotherfield Greys, along Dog Lane, Colliers Lane, Wyfold Lane, Hook End, Exlade Street and on to Goring, connecting with the Ridgeway. This was a packhorse route avoiding the long bend of the Thames through Reading. There used to be a pond in front of the Dog Pub, but when the B481 was straightened some years ago, this was filled in. The west side of Peppard Common dips down into a small valley, where the underlying chalk has been exposed by commoners exercising their rights to take chalk for dressing their land.