Witley Common
Encyclopedia
Witley Common is an area of woodland and heath, close to Witley
, Surrey
, in the United Kingdom
. It is part of a much larger Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The land has been occupied since the Bronze Age
— it features ancient burial mounds which have been dated to this period. It has been used as common land by many generations over the centuries — particularly for grazing, turf-cutting and, during the 16th and 17th centuries, for iron
workings.
Witley Common again proved useful during the first
and second World Wars when the land was used by the army as a training camp (Witley Camp
) with up to 20,000 soldiers based there at one point. In the late 1940s, it was gradually restored to its pre-war condition.
Today it is managed by the National Trust
, to provide a mixture of habitats for wildlife, with birch
, oak
and pine
woodland, as well as open heathland. Birdlife includes nightjar
s and nightingale
s
Built and managed by the National Trust
, the centre features a countryside exhibition. The Witley Centre often hosts school groups and children's holiday activities. The area is populated by many rare species and has a broad range of deciduous and evergreen varieties of trees. The area is a water catchment for the upper reaches of the River Wey
.
Witley
Witley, in Surrey, England is a village south west of Godalming. The village lies just east of the A3 that runs from Guildford to Petersfield. Witley together with the neighbouring area of Hambledon have a population of about 4,000. Neighbouring villages include Milford, Chiddingfold and...
, 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...
, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is part of a much larger Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The land has been occupied since the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
— it features ancient burial mounds which have been dated to this period. It has been used as common land by many generations over the centuries — particularly for grazing, turf-cutting and, during the 16th and 17th centuries, for iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
workings.
Witley Common again proved useful during the first
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and second World Wars when the land was used by the army as a training camp (Witley Camp
Witley Camp
Witley Military Camp, often simplified to Camp Witley, was a temporary army camp set up on Witley Common, Surrey, England during both the First and Second World Wars....
) with up to 20,000 soldiers based there at one point. In the late 1940s, it was gradually restored to its pre-war condition.
Today it is managed by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, to provide a mixture of habitats for wildlife, with 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...
, 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...
and pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
woodland, as well as open heathland. Birdlife includes nightjar
Nightjar
Nightjars are medium-sized nocturnal or crepuscular birds with long wings, short legs and very short bills. They are sometimes referred to as goatsuckers from the mistaken belief that they suck milk from goats . Some New World species are named as nighthawks...
s and nightingale
Nightingale
The Nightingale , also known as Rufous and Common Nightingale, is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae...
s
Witley Centre
Witley Common contains a nature information centre, known as The Witley Centre, run by the National Trust.Built and managed by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, the centre features a countryside exhibition. The Witley Centre often hosts school groups and children's holiday activities. The area is populated by many rare species and has a broad range of deciduous and evergreen varieties of trees. The area is a water catchment for the upper reaches of the River Wey
River Wey
The River Wey in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex is a tributary of the River Thames with two separate branches which join at Tilford. The source of the north branch is at Alton, Hampshire and of the south branch at both Blackdown south of Haslemere, and also close to Gibbet Hill, near Hindhead...
.