Feb 15 2023

Whitmoor Common

Scenic photo of Whitmoor Common at sunset.
Click Image to Enlarge

The busy car park on Salt Box Road speaks volumes about how much people love Whitmoor Common and how many visit regularly. And that’s important! Our heaths need us as much as we need them, and we need people to pass their love of heathland onto others, especially the next generation. There’s so much to enjoy on the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area, and Whitmoor Common is no exception. It’s an oasis of wilderness, and home to some of the UK’s most threatened wildlife. We have something really special here!

If you’re visiting Whitmoor Common, you can help keep wildlife and grazing animals safe by following a few simple requests. Please pick up after your dog and please keep to the main paths, keeping dogs with you on the paths. Very special birds nest here, nesting on the ground or amongst low growing vegetation like heather and gorse. The season runs from March to September and the birds include the Nightjars that come from Africa to nest here, Woodlarks, Dartford Warblers and Stonechats. Because their nests are on the ground, the birds are easily scared off and that’s why we say #PawsOnPathsPlease at this time of year. It’s not necessarily that dogs chase or even harm the birds, but if they’re repeatedly scared off, they’ll eventually abandon their nests.

Even if wildlife isn’t your thing, you’ll love Whitmoor Common for its peace & quiet, its fresh air, its landscape and you’ll enjoy seeing the Belted Galloway cattle & sheep that often graze here. If you’re a nature lover, enjoy a treasure trove of wildlife, and not just the more noticeable stuff, like birds, butterflies and reptiles, there’s a miriad of little things that go unnoticed by many of us. Take the Window-winged Caddis Fly (Hagenella clathrata), one of the UK’s rarest insects. Whitmoor Common is one of only two places in the whole of southern England where it’s been found! The other is local too, Chobham Common!

Please do help us spread the word…by keeping to the main paths and helping to prevent fires, we’ll protect the birds and other wildlife, and help to keep this important part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area safe for future generations.

Good to know…

Find free car parks for Whitmoor Common on Salt Box Road, Worplesdon GU3 and next to the Jolly Farmer on Burdenshot Road, Worplesdon GU3. What3Words: decide.forest.harp and jeeps.wire.knots.

Dogs are not required to be on leads, but please keep them close and with you on the paths. If you’re not sure of your recall, please keep them on a lead.

If you’re a regular dog walker and would like to try somewhere new, to help protect this fragile place, our top recommendations are Riverside Nature Reserve at Burpham (2.2 miles),  Brookwood Country Park near Knaphill (3.5 miles) and Chantry Wood on the outskirts of southern Guildford (4.2 miles). Our ‘Greenspace on your doorstep’ pages have lots more options too.

Find out more on Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Whitmoor and Rickford Commons page and Surrey County Council’s Worplesdon Commons page.

If you’re interested in practical volunteering, Surrey Wildlife Trust run regular work parties and would love to hear from you. Find out more on their volunteering page.

There’s an active Whitmoor Common Association contactable through their website or via email whitmoorcommon@gmail.com.

The Common is owned and managed by Surrey County Council in partnership with Surrey Wildlife Trust. Queries can be directed to Surrey County Council Contact Centre on 0300 200 1003 or emailed to contact.centre@surreycc.gov.uk (for conservation & grazing call Surrey Wildlife Trust 01483 910087 or email countryside@surreywt.org.uk).

Whitmoor Common gallery…

Photo of a mature tree, silhouetted against a heathland landscape.
If you haven’t already discovered Whitmoor Common, you’ll enjoy finding your way around this special place.
Photo of a boardwalk running across an area of open heath. A dog walker in the distance.
The boardwalk is one of my favourite spots.
Photo of an open, sea of heather, with scattered birch trees.
There’s lots of open heath, fantastic for heathland birds like Nightjars.
Photo of an open area with scattered mature trees.
Jordan Hill, in the most northerly section of the Common, is a scenic place.
Photo of a pond in winter, with blue sky behind. Reflections give the photo a symmetrical appearance.
And the pond, if you come across it unexpectedly, is a pleasant surprise.
Photo of a straight path, rather muddy, through woodland.
This straight path, known locally as the Italian Path, runs from Salt Box Road along part of the western boundary. It’s said to have been built by Italian prisoners of war during World War II.

Photo of heathland taken in warm evening light. A small path runs through heather and scattered birch trees. A gorse bush is flowering bright yellow.
Even in winter, there’s usually a splash of colour here and there.
Photo of a warden, smiling, standing in front of the Whitmoor Common noticeboard at Salt Box Road.
You’ll probably meet our wardens while you’re here. Here’s Warden Louis, who worked with us over the summer of 2022.
Photo of a small sticky plant. It has bright red sticky tendrils.
Amongst the more noticeable stuff, like birds, butterflies and reptiles, there’s a miriad of little things like this tiny carnivorous Sundew. A plant that entraps insects in its sticky tendrils.
Photo of heathland taken in warm evening light. A paths winds its way through flowering gorse.
It’s important to keep to the paths and keep dogs with their #PawsOnPathsPlease. Birds could easily be nesting very close to a path like this one.
Photo of heathland taken in warm evening light. A sign tied to a tree asks us to stick to paths and keep dogs out of vegetation.
Here’s one of the signs we display March – September, asking for everyone’s help.
Photo of a woodland path, with Silver Birch trees catching the sunshine.
If in doubt, stick to the woodland paths…

Photo of an open, sea of heather, a wide path with a line of birch trees running along one side.
…and the wider paths, rather than little paths that go into the heather. There’s plenty of space for everyone to have a great time and for wildlife to thrive.
Photo of a fencepost with a pink and yellow sign warning visitors that there are grazing animals.
Grazing animals including Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Belted Galloway cattle, can sometimes be grazing in temporary enclosures using electric fencing. Dogs on leads around livestock please.
Photo of a post with branches for hanging poo bags on and a notice asking dog walkers to remember to collect their dog waste bags on the way back to the car park.
Discarded dog waste is a big problem, so Surrey County Council are trying an innovative way to encourage dog walkers to dispose of their dog waste bags.
Photo of heathland taken in warm evening light. A tussock of dry grass amid a sea of heather.
It’s important to #BeWildfireAware too. Grasses, heather and gorse are susceptible, especially when the weather’s been dry.
Aftermath of the recent fire at Whitmoor Common, photographed by Warden Dan
A carelessly discarded cigarette, or a thoughtless BBQ, can be the start of something devastating. This is the aftermath of a fire in 2018.
Photo of blackened gorse, either side of a slim path.
The consequences are devastating to wildlife and our local environment.

Photo of heathland taken in warm evening light. A mature pine tree stands above a sea of heather.
Thank you for reading and please enjoy your visits to this special place.

 

[Click on the images for the full size versions, and to see the captions for more information]

These photographs have all been taken by myself and my colleagues. We visit Whitmoor Common regularly and are there to spread the word about this special place and help visitors enjoy their visits without disturbing the wildlife. Please follow us on social media, we’d love to share more of the magic of heathland with you.

Thank you everyone 🙏

Sarah
Thames Basin Heaths Partnership

Pictorial messages for "Keep to main paths", "Prevent fires" and "Explore alternatives"

#PawsOnPathsPlease

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