Events

Downlands Circular walk

6th October 2024, 11:00 - 13:00

FREE WALK

 

Downlands Circular Walk

Coulsdon, CR5

Sunday 6 October 2024

Start 11 am – Finishing by 1 pm

 

 

Join Gordon Jackson on this 3 mile circular walk along the beautiful Happy Valley. This site, together with Farthing Downs, forms the largest area of chalk grassland in London. This is one of the areas which has been identified as a recommended extension area for the Surrey Hills National Landscape.

Many chalk-loving orchids grow here, along with round-headed rampion and large patches of the nationally rare greater yellow-rattle

Cows and sheep graze here, ensuring that coarse vegetation will not overshadow these wild flowers. Dormice and white admiral butterflies can be found in the ancient woodland, which is carpeted with bluebells in April and May.

Farthing Downs & New Hill is a historic site and is a scheduled ancient monument.   Flint axes have been found here, and the Downs were farmed during the Iron Age – the speed humps on the road are part of the 2,000-year-old boundary banks that surrounded this ancient field system. The site is also famous for its Anglo-Saxon burial mounds

The grassy slopes of New Hill were ploughed and cultivated during World War 2 until the 1960s  – they then became covered in dense scrub. This has recently been cleared to allow the chalk-loving flowers to thrive once more.  Chalk grassland is one of our richest plant communities – over 50 kinds of wild flower can be found in a square metre of land.

It is also one of our most endangered wildlife habitats most of our chalk grassland has disappeared over the last 50 years, mainly due to urban development, agricultural improvement and the uncontrolled growth of scrub and coarse grasses.

Only 1% of the Surrey Hills remains as chalk grassland and the fragments that have survived have become isolated from each other.

The walk has several climbs and descents throughout including a couple of quite steep sections and is classified as Moderate.

The chalk path surfaces can get very muddy and slippery when wet, so good boots are a must.

After the walk you may be interested in having lunch in the nearby Fox Pub in Coulsdon.  Please make your own arrangements.

This event is not suitable for pushchairs or anyone with mobility challenges

The cost is free, open to everyone but spaces must be booked using the brown button below.

Deadline for booking 3 October 2024

For further details and enquiries, contact info@surreyhillssociety.org

 

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