Captain’s Close
What is Captain’s Close?
An area of grassland on the southern side of Bugbrooke, between Great Lane and the footpath from Ace Lane towards the Church and Millennium Green, roughly 0.83 hectares in size.
It is registered as a Local Green Space and owned by Bugbrooke Parish Council, who bought it in 2025 from the family of the late Dr Wallace-Collett, who older residents of the village may still
remember. It is crossed by a public footpath from Ace Lane to Great Lane.
Will it ever be built on?
No. As a designated Local Green Space Captain’s Close has some protection from development under current planning regulations. One of the reasons the Parish Council chose to buy the site was to prevent it from being sold to owners who might seek to develop the land in the future.
What is the Parish Council going to do with Captain’s Close?
Ensure that it is maintained in good order. The council has replaced the fence along the Ace Lane side, and had trees removed which were damaging the wall along the boundary with Great Lane. The council is also obtaining quotes for repairing the Great Lane wall (as at summer 2026).
Longer term, the council’s intention is to manage the site to maximise its value as habitat for wildlife, and as an accessible green space for users of the footpath.
In 2025 the council commissioned an ecological survey. In summary the report found that Captain’s Close ‘has ecological value at a local scale and contributes to the biodiversity and amenity of the wider area’. It is particularly important as part of a wider area of green infrastructure which includes the Hoarstone Brook, Millennium Green and parkland belonging to Park Hall.
In recent years Captain’s Close has not been actively managed, other than grazing by sheep for part of the year. Careful management would increase diversity and make the area more valuable as habitat for birds, invertebrates and small mammals.
The survey included a recommended management plan, covering activities including:
- Cut the grass and remove clippings in late summer
- Ongoing monitoring and surveys
- Tree safety inspection
- Create log piles and ‘bug hotels’
- Regularly check the brook for litter
Some actions will be carried out by the Parish Council (e.g. the tree safety inspection); others could be done by volunteers. The ideal scenario would be to find a group of volunteers willing to help manage the site on a long-term basis.
The Bugbrooke Environmental Working Group has put forward a proposal to plant a hedge inside a section of the new fence on the Ace Lane side. If approved by the council, this will happen in winter 2026.
Will there still be sheep on Captain’s Close?
At present the Parish Council is planning to continue the longstanding arrangement with a local farmer to graze a few sheep on Captain’s Close in summer.
Why is it called Captain’s Close?
Nobody knows!