A PLAQUE is to be erected to celebrate Gillotts Field becoming a town green.

The Henley beauty spot was granted the status in September, meaning it can’t be built on.

It followed a campaign by residents and town councillors to protect the field, which had been earmarked by South Oxfordshire District Council as a potential site for 150 homes.

The land is known for its wildflowers and is popular with dog walkers and families.

The plaque will be officially unveiled in April, accompanied by a community picnic and a beating the bounds ceremony. This custom involves walking around the parish boundary and beating it with a stick. The traditional purpose was to bless fields and crops to emphasise where the boundaries were and to bring people together.


Henley Mayor Elizabeth Hodgkin proposed the plaque at a meeting of the town council’s recreation and amenities committee on Tuesday.

She said: “I want something there to say it’s a town green. We need some sort of plaque to make a statement that it now has this status. I think having a picnic there when the weather is better would be rather nice and we’ll get a priest to go to each parish boundary.”

The committee voted unanimously in favour of the proposal and for no more than £200 to be spent on the plaque.

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Published on 08 February 2010