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Nature and Conservation

Nature and Conservation

Horsell Common, north of Woking, covers 916 acres and of these 375 are a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. The heathland is part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA) because it supports several rare protected species of birds including the Dartford warbler, the migratory nightjar and the woodlark.

Horsell Common has a rich mosaic of heathland habitats, ranging from open heath and acidic grasses to bog, heathland pools, secondary woodland and scrub. It supports a variety of heathland plants and animals, including several which are local or rare. Natural England has commended Horsell Common for its outstanding wildlife value and improved condition. A large part of the Common has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The open heathland areas form part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA), under the terms of the European Birds Directive. The Common is of European importance for supporting breeding populations of three bird species: Nightjar, Woodlark and Dartford Warbler. In addition to the heathland, there are meadows by the River Bourne, the wetlands area at Heather Farm and woodlands, all supporting a diverse range of species. HCPS owns and  manages the Common, working to maintain and improve these varied habitats, using machinery, cattle grazing and volunteers. At first sight, you might think that there is little wildlife present, but it is actually teeming with life. At least 5,000 different species of invertebrate animals live on heathland.

Click on a photo below to find out more

Heathland

Grasslands

Meadowland

Woodland

River Bourne

The Danewell Gutter and pond

Photo Credit: Andrew Halstead

The Sandpit

The Wetlands at Heather Farm

Warren Pond, Horsell Birch

Horsell Common, north of Woking, covers 916 acres and of these 375 are a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. The heathland is part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA) because it supports several rare protected species of birds including the Dartford warbler, the migratory nightjar and the woodlark. Stonechats can also be seen on the heathland, often in the same areas favoured by Dartford warblers. The rare woodlark and also the very rare silver-studded blue butterfly favour the short heather and vegetation on grasslands.

Horsell Common is probably one of the richest areas in Surrey for bees, wasps and ants with over 180 species having been recorded, including 15 species of spider-hunting wasps. In 2021, over 40 different species of birds were recorded on Horsell Common. Much of the conservation work on the Common aims to preserve and improve these habitats which support so many diverse species. Please help HCPS in their conservation work by keeping to the main footpaths and tracks. We ask that you keep dogs under control or on a lead during the bird nesting period from March to September as ground nesting birds and their young are easily disturbed.

Find out more by opening the link below created by Thames Basin Heaths Partnership. Their rangers walk the heaths all around the Thames Basin, checking on the wildlife. https://www.tbhpartnership.org.uk/wildlife-gallery/ -.

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Click on a photo below to find out more

Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)

Photo Credit: Mark Leitch

Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)

Photo Credit: Jon Mullin

Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata)

Photo Credit: Mark Leitch

Woodlark (Lullula arborea)

Photo Credit: Mark Leitch

Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)

Photo Credit: Margo Scott

Skylark (Alauda arvensis)

Photo Credit: Michael Jones

Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)

Silver-studded Blue Butterfly
(Plebejus argus)

Photo Credit: Michael Jones

Insects

Bee Wolf (Philanthus triangulum)

Photo Credit: Michael Jones

Adder (Vipera berus)

Photo Credit: Michael Jones

Heather (Ling) (Calluna vulgaris)

Bell Heather (Erica cinerea)

Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix)

Round-leaved Sundew
(Drosera rotundifolia)

Bog Asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum)

Dodder (Cuscuta epiphytum)

Photo Credit: Andrew Halstead

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Heathland

Lowland heathland once covered vast areas of Southern England, but these areas have shrunk dramatically in the last 200 years. It is now one of Europe’s rarest types of habitat. It is a fragile landscape where you can find plants such as heathers which favour poor, acidic soil such as the local Bagshot Sands. From July to September, the heathers are in flower. There are three common species; the cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix), which has a cluster of pink bells and prefers wetter ground: ling heather (Calluna vulgaris) with mauve spikes which is the most common; bell heather (Erica cinerea) which is a rich purple. Heathland is vital in supporting many species of insects, spiders, birds and reptiles and is also important for the environment for carbon sequestration. This habitat has been designated a “Special Protection Area” (SPA) because it supports rare, endangered ground-nesting birds including the nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler and the rare silver-studded blue butterfly.

Grasslands

The acidic soil supports grasses, bracken, heathers, gorse and dodder (Cuscuta europea) but far fewer flowers than calcareous soils. It is poor for agriculture but was grazed in the past by cattle, horses and sheep owned by local people (commoners). Today, Belted Galloway cattle graze here as part of the conservation programme for this area which is designated a Special Protection Area (SPA). Regular grazing supports the regeneration of heather as the cattle eat birch, gorse and grasses which could otherwise out compete the heathers. In recent years, on some parts of the Common, the overgrown vegetation and topsoil have been removed to expose heather seeds and stimulate regeneration. Keeping the vegetation short makes this a perfect habitat for the woodlark and the silver-studded blue butterfly, which are protected species.

Meadowland

Here, much richer soils support lush meadow grasses and a great variety of wild flowers including yellow toadflax, purple loosestrife, yarrow, tansy, lady’s smock, knapweed, clover and geranium to name but a few. There are three main meadows: Mimbridge, Bourne and McLaren Park. Mimbridge Meadows and Bourne Fields are managed as organic pasture during the summer and a late hay crop is taken in July/August. In winter it forms part of the Addlestone Bourne flood plain. Many typical river side plants grow along the riverbanks, including reedmace, toadflax and purple loosestrife. The meadow supports a range of wildflowers, red clover, meadow buttercup, speedwell, yarrow and wild iris in the wet areas. These provide a habitat for a wide range of insects, including crickets, hoverflies, froghoppers, burnet moths and the increasingly rare Forester Moth. The meadows are a favourite hunting ground for kestrels which nest in a box provided in one of the large oaks.

Woodland

Once local people stopped grazing their animals on the heathland, Scots pine and silver birch soon started to grow, along with some oak and rowan trees. HCPS recognizes the value of woodland for amenity, biodiversity, and climate change mitigation. We will always have woodlands at Horsell Common.  We have a ten-year forestry plan in place which has been agreed by the Forestry Commission and Natural England and allows us to carry out woodland operations on the Common. Our woodland is being carefully managed to open up areas for heather to regenerate and to create a richer and more diverse habitat with stands of trees of different ages and more varied species. The woodland supports many bird species such as woodpeckers, chiff chaffs, goldcrests and nuthatches. Some timber is stacked and dried for several years, then chipped and used for the biomass boiler system to heat Heather Farm café and offices.

River Bourne

The River Bourne flows through the Mimbridge and Bourne meadows, with a couple of fording places loved by dogs and photographers. In winter it can flood dramatically across the meadows and this flood plain helps to mitigate the potential damage of heavy rainfall which could otherwise cause flooding in built-up areas further downstream. A perfect habitat for reeds, water loving plants and reed buntings.

The Danewell Gutter and pond

The Danewell pond, which overflows into the Danewell Gutter, always has a good level of acidic water, reflecting the sky, trees and the many darting damsel and dragon flies flitting across its still surface. It also serves to drain large areas of Horsell and as the waters trickle across the Common, they create a mosaic of boggy grassland and wet heaths, dominated by cross leaved heath, purple moor grass, heath rush, cotton grass sedge and bog moss. The mire is low in nutrients and supports many species of mosses and acid-loving plants including white beak-sedge, sundew and bog asphodel.

The Sandpit

This area was excavated for many years for building materials. The sandpit is surrounded by mature Scots pines. The willow and scrub pine are removed from this site in order to create an open area which is sunny and warm, an ideal habitat for the many species of solitary bees and wasps including the bee wolf, which excavate the sandy banks, creating tunnels for laying their eggs.

The Wetlands at Heather Farm

The lake and ponds were excavated in 2013 as part of the complete renovation of the site of the old Blue Prince Mushroom Farm. The site was designed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust with landscaping by Land & Water. 14 acres of concrete and 155,000 sq ft of derelict buildings were removed. Volunteers planted 15,000 reeds and other water loving plants at the new Wetland Centre at Heather Farm. Today, the lake is surrounded by reeds and is a haven for waterfowl, reed buntings and reed warblers. If you are lucky, you might spot a kingfisher or heron. Welsh Badger Face sheep help to keep down the vegetation but there is a wealth of wildflowers in the summer months.

Warren Pond, Horsell Birch

The pond on Horsell Birch is called Warren Pond, named after a local resident who left some money to HCPS for the maintenance of the pond. During the excavation of the pond to clear it of overgrown vegetation, many Victorian glass bottles were found. This area was once traditionally grazed by cattle and horses and their constant trampling must have disturbed the dormant seeds of the three-lobed water crowfoot which was identified near the water’s edge. The acidic water is favoured by newts.

Species of birds regularly observed on Horsell Common 

Away from the heathland, the Common is also home to many species of birds. In May 2021, around 36 species of birds were detected. At any time of year blue tits, great tits, and long tailed tits can be seen and heard in the trees. Sometimes there are tiny gold crests. Coal tits can also be seen, often preferring the conifers. Robins, wrens, blackbirds and song thrushes are regulars, joined in winter by fieldfares and redwings, and mistle thrushes can sometimes be seen in the surrounding fields, together with green woodpeckers. Greater spotted woodpeckers can be seen and heard in woodland areas. Crows, jackdaws, magpies and jays are common, and the jackdaws often congregate in noisy roosts during winter evenings.  

Walking from Heather Farm, the meadows along the Bourne and the adjacent fields are good places to see Canada geese and kestrels hunt in the meadows. Red kites and buzzards are often sighted above. If lucky, you might glimpse a barn owl over the meadows at dusk, and tawny owls can be heard in the woods. The wetland area at Heather Farm is a good place to look out for moorhens, coots and reed buntings. A swan can often be seen, along with mallards, and herons feeding at the margins. In spring and summer, the hedges and woodland margins are home to migratory warblers, including blackcaps, whitethroats, and chiff chaffs, while reed warblers arrive in the reed beds. Swallows and house martins may be seen feeding on insects in the wetter areas, and swifts can be heard above.  

The McLaren Park meadows are home to skylarks and meadow pipits; the sound of the skylarks in spring is a true delight. 

The Flora of Horsell Common

 

Lowland Heaths once dominated the landscape from East Anglia to Surrey, Hampshire and Dorset. The poor acidic soils were considered useless for agriculture, but cattle and other livestock were grazed and heather flourished. The open heath is perfect for three species of heather whilst the valley known as the Danewell Gutter mire is ideal for the carnivorous sundew, bog asphodel and mosses. A parasitic plant, common dodder, can sometimes be found growing on heather plants. In order to preserve these rare species, HCPS employs a programme of conservation work, by cutting back invasive scrub such as Scots pine and silver birch. Management by HCPS of all these varied habitats, including grasslands, boggy areas, heathland and woodland, helps to maintain and improve this great diversity of plant species.

Reptiles and Amphibians 

Lowland dry heath is vitally important for lizards and adders. Heathland, because of its open, sunny aspect and sandy soil is a particularly warm habitat and hosts a variety of reptiles and amphibians, some of which are rare.  The common lizard, slowworm, grass snake and adder have all been recorded on Horsell Common. The dry nature of the habitat presents a greater risk of fire, killing the reptiles which cannot escape. Great care is needed: please do not throw down cigarettes, matches or glass. Please do not light fires and barbecues are not allowed. Help HCPS to protect the common by following these rules. 

The ponds and water filled-ditches are used as breeding sites by the common frog, the common toad, the palmate newt and the much rarer great-crested newt.  

Insects 

More than 200 different species of insect were identified in 2020 in the meadowland of McLaren Park. The short heather on Grasslands supports the rare silver-studded blue butterfly. Horsell Common Preservation Society manages areas of the Common in such a way as to encourage these insects by creating a suitable habitat. The south-facing sandy banks around the Sandpit are kept free of vegetation creating the sunny environment where many species of solitary bees and wasps nest, including the bee wolf. Scrub that invades the open heathland has been removed from Grasslands and old heather and gorse have been cut back to encourage new growth to create the right environment for the rare, endangered silver-studded blue butterfly. Dragonflies and damselflies fly over the Danewell and Horsell Birch ponds. 

Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)

The scientific name for the nightjar means ‘goatsucker’. This is because some people used to believe these birds would feed on goat’s milk. The grey-brown mottled plumage of the nightjar (about 27cm) is perfect camouflage against the bark of a tree. It has a pointed tail and a flat head with a small yet wide bill which it opens fully as it flies through the air, catching insects. The males have white on the tips of their pointed wings and tails, which they use for displaying or flashing. The birds have very short legs making it difficult to walk.

The nightjar, as its name suggests, is nocturnal hunting for moths and insects at night. Its flight is silent and agile. Often the nightjar can be heard “churring” and clapping its wings even when it is hard to spot. The nightjar arrives in the UK in April or early May having migrated 3,000miles from sub-Saharan Africa. It is a ground nesting bird and favours a sheltered spot amongst heather and gorse. They will usually lay two eggs and raise two broods before leaving the Common at the end of summer. Sadly, nightjars often fail to raise their young because they are easily disturbed by dogs which might destroy their nests

Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)


The woodcock, like the nightjar, is mostly nocturnal and a carnivore, feeding on worms, beetles, caterpillars and larvae. It has a long thin tapering bill for probing the leaf litter and earth. It is very well camouflaged with mottled brown plumage, barred with flecks of white and black and it is about the size of a very stocky pigeon with short legs. The heathland and woodlands of Horsell Common provide the perfect habitat. In the breeding season the male woodcock performs a display flight known as “roding” aimed at attracting a female. If you are on the Common at dusk or dawn you may hear a series of grunts and squeaking and see the bird’s silhouette with a long thin bill, as the woodcock flies across his territory. From March to July, one or two eggs are laid in nests on the ground made with a few leaves. The woodcock is a protected species.

Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata)

The Dartford warbler is a small, dark brown bird, with a long tail. It was once called a “furze wren” and in size, is similar to a robin. It has a distinctive red eye ring and an orange-red breast. It can often be spotted perched on gorse, singing its scratchy song. The Dartford warbler lives amongst the heathers and gorse of Horsell Common. The gorse offers protection in winter and is a source of food too, as it harbours insects and spiders. The Dartford warbler is a ground-nesting bird, making a nest where it is sheltered by heather or gorse. It lays 3 to 5 eggs and might have three broods from April to September.

The Dartford warbler is a protected species. Its numbers were decimated in the cold winters of the 1960s, with as few as 10 breeding pairs surviving. Today, there are around 3,200 pairs nesting on our lowland heaths mainly in the Southeast of England. Please help HCPS to protect these birds by staying on the paths and keeping dogs on leads in heathland areas during the breeding season, March to September.

Woodlark (Lullula arborea)

The woodlark favours open, dry habitats with short grasses. In recent years, the vegetation on the area known as Grasslands has been cut back so that now the new regenerating growth of heathers is the ideal habitat for these birds. A pair returned to Horsell Common in 2019 after a long absence. They can be seen from February onwards as they look for mates and start to build their nests. The woodlark is stripy brown, with a buff-white eye stripe and a spiky crest on its head. It has quite a short tail and a bouncing flight pattern. The woodlark is mostly resident throughout the year, feeding on seeds and insects. It usually nests within a grassy tussock or heather bush, often digging a shallow scrape. This ground-nesting bird is a protected species with around 3,000 breeding pairs in the UK. Please help HCPS to protect these birds by keeping to the paths and keeping your dog on a lead when walking in this area during the nesting season from March to September.

Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)

The stonechat favours the heathers and gorse bushes of Horsell Common and can been seen in the same areas as the Dartford warbler. It is a similar size to a robin, with distinctive markings. It has a black head, brown back, black throat and a white half collar. The females and juveniles are paler. It often sits on top of gorse bushes, flicking its wings and making its distinctive call which sounds like two stones being rubbed together. The heathers, gorse and Scots pine on Horsell Common suit the stonechat perfectly. They nest in dense vegetation and trees. The stonechat feeds on insects, berries, seeds, slugs and even small frogs!

Skylark (Alauda arvensis)

Skylarks can often be heard before they are seen and their trilling, fluting song can fill a summer’s day. They rise almost vertically, easily reaching 50 to 100 metres or more and can often be spotted as a black, fluttering dot in the sky. Their song flight can last for up to an hour. The best places to hear them are McLaren Park and Fairoaks airport. The birds prefer short grassland and they are ground-nesting. The chicks become independent after only two weeks and there might be up to four broods in a breeding season. The bird is streaky brown with a crest. Their numbers have declined dramatically in recent years, possibly due to habitat loss.

Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)

The reeds in the wetlands and along the River Bourne are the perfect habitat for the reed bunting which is another protected species on Horsell Common. It is a streaky brown bird. The males have black heads and black throats with a white collar and a white “moustache”. It is a similar size to a sparrow and feeds on seeds and invertebrates. The male finch can often be spotted during the breeding season perched on a reed or scrub and giving their three-note call. The females build their nest in dense vegetation using grass, reeds and moss.

Silver-Studded Blue Butterfly (Plebejus argus)

This is a rare butterfly of heathland habitats. It has been recorded on the Grasslands section of Horsell Common where the heather has been kept very short by mowing and cattle grazing. In recent years, it has suffered a severe decline in numbers. It carries protected status. The larvae feed on a variety of plants including bell heather, cross-leaved heather and gorse. The larvae have a close relationship with ants. The ants protect the larvae from predators and parasites whilst the ants, in return, feed on a sugary substance produced by the caterpillars. The caterpillars often pupate in an ant nest. The butterfly gets its name from the light blue reflective scales found on the underside of the wings.

Insects

Horsell Common is probably one of the richest areas in Surrey for bees, wasps and ants with over 180 species having been recorded on the sandy banks and heathland. More than 200 different species of insect were identified in 2020 in the meadowland of McLaren Park. The short heather on Grasslands supports the rare silver-studded blue butterfly. Horsell Common Preservation Society manages areas of the Common in such a way as to encourage these insects by creating a suitable habitat. The south-facing sandy banks around the Sandpit are kept free of vegetation creating the sunny environment where many species of solitary bees and wasps nest, including the bee wolf. Scrub that invades the open heathland has been removed from Grasslands and old heather and gorse have been cut back to encourage new growth to create the right environment for the rare, endangered silver-studded blue butterfly. Dragonflies and damselflies fly over the Danewell and Horsell Birch ponds.

Bee Wolf (Philanthus triangulum)

This is one of the many solitary wasps found on Horsell Common. Look carefully in the exposed sandy banks around the Sandpit and you will find the area pitted with holes. These are the sites of the nesting burrows of the bee wolf.  They can measure one metre in depth with many side burrows which end in brood chambers. The female bee wolves prey on honey bees, which they paralyse and then carry back to their nesting chamber.  An egg is laid on a paralysed bee, the chamber is then sealed and once the larva hatches, it feeds on the honey bee. 

 Heath Potter Wasp (Eumenes coarctatus)

 The potter wasp is another solitary predatory species. The female wasp builds small pot-shaped nests attached to heather stems. She collects small moth caterpillars which she paralyses and seals in the nest pot for her larvae to feed on. The adult wasp feeds on nectar.

 Leaf-cutter bees (Megachile species)

 Several species of leaf-cutter bees can be found on Horsell Common. They resemble the honey bee, but the underside of their abdomen is covered in orange hairs. The female bee cuts out leaf pieces to create the cells in the nesting site, which may be a hollow plant stem or a tunnel made in rotten wood. These pieces are stuck together in a thimble shaped structure which is then provisioned with nectar and pollen. Once an egg has been laid, the cell is capped with a circular leaf disc and sealed using the bee’s saliva.  Amazingly, the bee cuts one shape for building the “thimble” structure and a different circular disc for sealing the top. A single nest may contain 20 cells that have been constructed from hundreds of pieces of leaf.

Wood ant (Formica rufa)

Look carefully on Horsell BIrch and Woodham Common you will find nests of the southern wood ant. The ants build a large nest out of soil, twigs, leaves and pine needles. One ant colony might number as many as one million ants, including non-reproducing female workers, a queen and males.  In spring, you might see hundreds of ants on the surface of their nest warming themselves in the sunshine. The ants are fearsome predators hunting insects and other invertebrates. They play a vital pest control role in our woodlands. The uncommon Scarce 7-spot ladybird (Coccinella magnifica) is closely associated with wood ant nests.

Adder (Vipera berus)

The adder is our only venomous snake. It is a shy creature which can be spotted basking in the sunshine (it is cold blooded and needs the sun’s warmth!) on the heathland. The adder will slither away rather than attack but if surprised, it can give a poisonous bite so please stay on the path and keep your dog on a lead. The adder has a distinctive zig-zag pattern down its greyish length. It grows to about 60 to 80 cm. It hunts lizards and small mammals, as well as ground-nesting birds. The females give birth to three to twenty live young. Adders hibernate from October to March.

Heather (Ling) (Calluna vulgaris)

Heather is also known as ‘Ling’ and is an abundant plant on heathland where the soil is poor and acidic. Its delicate pink flowers grow loosely up the stem and appear from August to October. The tough, wiry plants grow tightly packed together and can live for up to 40 years or more. The flowers are a rich source of nectar and pollen. The honey made by honeybees that feed on ling heather is dark and has a jelly-like consistency. “Ling” is the most common type of heather on Horsell Common.

Heather has been used for many purposes, such as fuel, fodder, building materials and thatch. It was also used to make brooms, which is how it got its scientific name – Callunais- derived from the Greek word meaning ‘to brush’.

Horsell Common Preservation Society is working to restore and protect our heathland by promoting good management, clearing encroaching scrub and implementing beneficial grazing regimes. This work is vital if these habitats are to survive.

Bell Heather (Erica cinerea)

Bell heather is found in a variety of habitats, including heathland and open woodland. It particularly likes acidic, dry, well-drained soils. The dark purple-pink, bell-shaped flowers appear between July and September. Bell heather is very distinctive: its dark purple-pink, bell-shaped flowers form clusters up the stem, and its short, dark green, needle-like leaves sit in whorls of three. Bell heather is an important nectar source for many insects, including honeybees, bumblebees, solitary bees and rare silver-studded blue butterflies.

Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix)

Cross-leaved heath gets its name from the distinctive whorls of four leaves that occur along its stems. An evergreen shrub, it prefers acidic bogs and wet heath or moorland. It flowers between June and September and attracts many nectar-loving insects, including bees and moths. It has soft pink bells in a small cluster at the top of the stem and grey green thin leaves.

Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)

Round-leaved sundew grows in damp, nutrient poor acidic soil. It is one of the few carnivorous plants in the UK, getting its nutrients by “digesting” insects. Red hair-like tendrils on each small leaf are tipped with sticky droplets that attract passing insects. Once the insect is trapped by the sticky “dew” the leaves of the sundew curl inwards and wrap around the insect which is then digested. The leaves grow in a rosette with small white flowers in the summer.

Bog Asphodel (Narthecium ossifragum)

The bright yellow, star-like flowers of bog asphodel brighten up damp heaths and moors in summer. Bog asphodel has pyramidal flower spikes, which carry a dense cluster of yellow, open flowers with protruding, woolly, orange-tipped stamens. The leaves are narrow and set in a flattened fan around the stem. After it flowers, most of the plant turns orange in colour and reddish, egg-shaped seed pods appear. The water that drains through the Danewell Gutter creates an acidic boggy mire where bog asphodel thrives. Part of the scientific name of bog asphodel, ossifragum, literally translates as “bone-breaker”. It was believed that livestock that grazed on it got brittle bones. However, it was actually the calcium-poor pastures that caused the problem.

Dodder (Cuscuta epiphytum)

Dodder is a parasitic plant, which has no chlorophyl and it is totally dependent on its seeds germinating near a suitable host plant, such as heather or gorse. The twining stems of dodder have suckers that penetrate into the stems of the host plant to get the nutrients and water it needs. With large parts of Horsell Common being covered by heather, you might expect to see this everywhere, but it is of very local and intermittent occurrence. Dodder flowers in July after which the plant withers and dies. A small patch was recorded on the Grasslands in the summer of 2020.

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