Oxshott Heath
Encyclopedia
Oxshott Heath and Woods is an area of woods and heathland in Oxshott
, Surrey
, England
covering approximately 200 acres and having an interesting geology where the London Clay
stratum meets the overlying sand stratum and emerges to the surface. This has created a sand escarpment, from which views to Box Hill
(near Dorking
) can be made out to the South. The top of the escarpment is also home to the war memorial. The area is part of Esher Commons
and is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
.
The woodland contains both deciduous and coniferous trees, notably: mature and young oak
; beech
; silver birch
; birch
; and Scots Pine
and is bordered to the South by the Waterloo
to Guildford
via Cobham
and Stoke D'Abernon
railway line, to the East by the A244 road running between Esher
and Leatherhead
, to the North by the A3 (Portsmouth Road) (although the wooded area continues north towards Esher
as Esher Commons), and the West by encroaching residential development. Oxshott Woods provide a healthy recreational area for local residents, being set on a sloping escarpment.
Unlike the neighbouring Esher Commons
, Oxshott Heath is managed by a board of conservators originally established by a provisional order made under the Commons Act 1876, and confirmed by the Commons Regulation (Oxshott) Provisional Order Confirmation Act 1904 (c.cxxvii), and the award made under the order.
In 1935 a circular object was found in the Woods and is now displayed in the British Museum
. It is an Anglo-Saxon
bronze brooch of the early tenth century. It is believed to be manufactured in England and has very fine detailing of snakes carved into it.
In 2007 there was considerable concern at the prospect of tree felling both on the nearby common and in the woods themselves.
Oxshott
Oxshott is a village in Surrey, England with a growing population of around 6,100. Neighbouring settlements include: Chessington, Claygate and Cobham. It is situated in fields and woodlands between Esher and Leatherhead on the A244, five minutes by car from both the A3 and the M25 London Orbital...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
covering approximately 200 acres and having an interesting geology where the London Clay
London Clay
The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for the fossils it contains. The fossils from the Lower Eocene indicate a moderately warm climate, the flora being tropical or subtropical...
stratum meets the overlying sand stratum and emerges to the surface. This has created a sand escarpment, from which views to Box Hill
Box Hill, Surrey
Box Hill is a summit of the North Downs in Surrey, approximately south west of London. The hill takes its name from the ancient box woodland found on the steepest west-facing chalk slopes overlooking the River Mole. The western part of the hill is owned and managed by the National Trust, whilst...
(near Dorking
Dorking
Dorking is a historic market town at the foot of the North Downs approximately south of London, in Surrey, England.- History and development :...
) can be made out to the South. The top of the escarpment is also home to the war memorial. The area is part of Esher Commons
Esher Commons
Esher Commons comprises several large wooded areas to the South West of Esher in the English county of Surrey. The designation includes Esher Common, Fairmile Common, West End Common and Oxshott Heath.-Geology and terrain:...
and is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
.
The woodland contains both deciduous and coniferous trees, notably: mature and young oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
; beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
; silver birch
Silver Birch
Betula pendula is a widespread European birch, though in southern Europe it is only found at higher altitudes. Its range extends into southwest Asia in the mountains of northern Turkey and the Caucasus...
; birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
; and Scots Pine
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...
and is bordered to the South by the Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
to Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
via Cobham
Cobham, Surrey
Cobham is a town in the Borough of Elmbridge in Surrey, England, about south-west of central London and north of Leatherhead. Elmbridge has been acclaimed by the Daily Mail as the best place to live in the UK, and Cobham is a prosperous part of the London commuter belt...
and Stoke D'Abernon
Stoke d'Abernon
Stoke d'Abernon is a small village situated between Cobham and Leatherhead in the county of Surrey. The census area Oxshott and Stoke d'Abernon has a population of 6,100.-History:...
railway line, to the East by the A244 road running between Esher
Esher
Esher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
and Leatherhead
Leatherhead
Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
, to the North by the A3 (Portsmouth Road) (although the wooded area continues north towards Esher
Esher
Esher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
as Esher Commons), and the West by encroaching residential development. Oxshott Woods provide a healthy recreational area for local residents, being set on a sloping escarpment.
Unlike the neighbouring Esher Commons
Esher Commons
Esher Commons comprises several large wooded areas to the South West of Esher in the English county of Surrey. The designation includes Esher Common, Fairmile Common, West End Common and Oxshott Heath.-Geology and terrain:...
, Oxshott Heath is managed by a board of conservators originally established by a provisional order made under the Commons Act 1876, and confirmed by the Commons Regulation (Oxshott) Provisional Order Confirmation Act 1904 (c.cxxvii), and the award made under the order.
In 1935 a circular object was found in the Woods and is now displayed in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. It is an Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
bronze brooch of the early tenth century. It is believed to be manufactured in England and has very fine detailing of snakes carved into it.
In 2007 there was considerable concern at the prospect of tree felling both on the nearby common and in the woods themselves.