Local Wildlife Site

It is often overlooked that this site is made up of two adjacent commons, Wimbledon and Putney, although their histories are of course closely connected. While Putney Heath is split in half by the A3, Wimbledon Common extends south all the way to Copse Hill and the adjacent Royal Wimbledon Golf Course (south). The whole expanse is the largest surviving area of common land in London, saved by an Act of Parliament in 1871 declaring that the site should remain open and unenclosed.This large site supports over half of all the remaining heathland in London. High quality habitats associated with acidic soils include both wet and dry heath; one of London’s very few valley bogs; extensive areas of acid grassland, woodland and scrub; several ponds and a section of the Beverley Brook. This site includes two London Wildlife Trust managed Local Nature Reserves; Fishpond Wood and Beverley Meads and Farm Bog, where volunteer management workdays are held most Sundays (call 020 7261 0447 for details). Caesar’s Camp is a scheduled Ancient Monument seen from the footpath crossing the Royal Wimbledon Golf Course, which occupies much of the southern part of the site. Much of the site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation (EU Habitats Directive).Merton Healthy Walks and Morden Start the Week with a Walk use this site – both Walking the Way to Health (WHI) schemes; see links for details.