Nature Conservation in Kingston 1992
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was leff lyii. These Ivy- and mms-mrdstumps and logs was a new& of imd~running Whfrm Khqsti~in add a valuable niche for invertebrates Hrlthin the wood. The ~&~afLeatherh.e9dmdWM~~h~e ekn is now suckeriy prohsely to fm, together with Wng ~rwth-,busyw#hmtoanelmhsu#lb syamores, a dense understorey in places. Holly forms a thii, ~.~mainmutelayalongtheRhesf~~t4ay sometimes Impenetrable, evergreen shrub layer, with smaller ~m,and~;srrd~wwklhavem amounts of elder and yew. Ivy carpets the grwnd, exoept on *m~it!omarket,~manwy~gmem the stew dope where the soil is em.Amon@ the ivy m~r%ofRushettCwnman~~tT~yY grows an assortment of wdhnd plants, induding ramm, On~~~n4he~kOoawKttoconsist Lords-and-Ladies, dq's mercury, wood avens, pignut, ofboth~Iband~~~Mh~f~ male fern, woodaorrel, blu0M and foxglove. As with We, ersh, m,pkra.md WWUOW.BwWh the canow the adjoining park, swne of these Flowers may ~adenssl,~~of~,~ have been inbodud. chg~eWerand~.~~dWOd The publlc part of the park is owned and man@ hy byplantssuch&~~-m,&bm*~ theBorwgh,butthereservehasbeenmanaged&bLondon ~,ivy,~~,~~&~,~~~ Wildlilo Trust under licence since 1987. Entram to the public and~~~~tastisa~~~~ part can bs gain& during daylii hours by a gate at the south* ~ACmore~~wlthdd~~~ west corner. Umsbnal open are Mby ffie London ~~Iflm~,itSrelativeheath~* WrldliFe Trud for people to gain access to the sanctuary, to see g~op($~.:~sgeciesIsm~toBcidw~.~~ some of its wildlife. Otherwise lhe sanduary mains dosed the W d !be md cons& of goat wlllwr, gorse, MI to the public, a8houfi1mw may be pmitted on appt- mdM,mds rangeof undwhrey spchairnilar to the Trust. An enbedhotpath pawimmediately to the to~kl~~. north of the bird sanctuary and gives a gmd idea of the tranquil TImrnBSt~t~in~~~is2uftBd nature of the site, all dte more remWewhen a wak ol Mr~.fhistall,gmfut pkmlfmhs&i~,whHe only 100 metres takes one to the bySurbiton stafion ~~Rovvsr~ksarch~zmdme~Ihed~test hm.7hlsgm%ispined heirr~~o~ph~&~~ and ahopplng area. afd;tmpdaysoils,ind~ng~,mmh~,wW m, 1~ bim-m,--I, devlrs.b# ~andhardmsb~Infr6ni~ftkehousesatthenorBhgm &dPhernAlrrianMtmpWwofrarely-mawn~ KI.BII 3 RustPett Common ~malsP$omlmd~aaffedM~,here Grid rd TQ 168 605 I- WMcM&WmdRon'n, Am 5.4 ha Insmnw~~~hacdourfd&ht~ an abu- Of- &fb#&8, GI~R~thbk Hid When me is badling south along Leahahead Rd,lhii hardheads prpdueehh of pu@ blporcrs'~~9;~- site gives the imprerssion of passing through fmet fathsr than arich~9f~fmthe~~bsOb~ #rough the agricultuml landscape which Wly surrounds It. here. Yam,tmpwsky, ~dnqWlrtHd~ Themmon extends fw about a lalomebe, Mngirrg both sides omfin whaSthwetterawasmda~~ af the road on a me narth-fang slope of Londwl Clay. Thls ~g~~~~~nrshandthg~larllf~s valuable wildlife area has existed much in its present shape gmt&Q vdlW-h&, In plm ode scrub t Wi, since at bast the lxgnnkg of the nbtemhcentwy, ex- mdimi&m*grasslandkdwngm~. that it stretched fumr north than at present, towards Hook. To~fhaQ~l~ofttris~but~retain The common is now mos!ly mered hy WandMi is L~,~W~theroad~~~wroea dominatd by scattered mure oaks. The area to the west ~In~~,~dWr~~cut~lce of the road also mtains pat:W of mb and grassland, as ewyhnotothreeytra~s,~~~~~are doeslhenmthendofthewstemstnp,attheentranceto F8mOV8d. thevHl@ofMaldenHushett. fhecwmnonhasa~~~,i~~ Tho Nrst EdMOnImce Survey Map of 1866 (25 inches m@ek#pf,~Is~ofval~to~~ to the mile) sshows Rushet Common with the same bwmdmh -'thew. as It pwwtx w,and indites that It consisted almost RWcamon kmtq Mi the Green Be#. entirety ot rough pasbre. h contrast with the day, fhereCu~M~tOWfs~intheary,lfnetinp~ac- . the area was open,with only a few decidwws trees present ttce,w4I@~md*m~v 1the margins. The tradtlonal comrnwl land SWUSof IWhetI and~buq~~~bIm~dfmuchQf Commonwas Iwmalised at the time offfieendoam. There theundegWhm.mhW6h-am wdhdlies to the west of the hwse. This tongue of woodland is attcmchd to hmaln blodr, both fo the north and swth of the house, by rows of mature oaks. The wds of fhe estate are dive with birds: spwhpresgnt include great spotted wm@&ckers, treecreepers,&iff chaffs and sta& dwes. Just north of the HogmRl Riris a sunken arena, now used kr sfiowlurnpin$. Th8 suroundiq banks prow a oolourful display of wild Wefa. Typical Rwvers of ckhrbd grassland present indude goat's rue, mellot, base4 and wild rnigmeb, Wigrow amongstthe coarse grams and bramble6. Along both Mcsof the river, in the swlh of the site, is a Mp of wmdland, mainly mnposed of sywm,but ah dningcrack wiW, ml with a ground flora of ivy, slmhr fakehum,wood avm and grwnd ivy. me rim W is too~tosuppottany~vege~,buts~~ skim aver the mud and pebbles Re Wngsh-, The sib extends to tRe busy MrPark Road, mrgw ofmanydifferenttrabitat beyondthcr~bwndarywhiiherelallourrs~ re, stream asld mmanagd centred the Hogmill Rirer. A rirrerside walk dtsdong the muthem side of gadt&at pitch and ma of mdyMi homes, all the Hogsmill (in the District ot Ewm and Wl) but this Is olwhich~beenaxd~omformedtheesbbda rather spollt In places by the bmpirrg of garden refuse and lapmuntrj hwm. It ism med by -the Council and itspmximitytothard,Thew&SnksuptoMwsstwiththe bsdto the R'wwhfll Estate, who bkafter the whole faotpath thlmrgh Tolworth CouffFarm and Bowgate Open SpacetoWHiI.Totheeasfthewalkends&the- Tlwmainareaof~and~piesthe~rn mad to Rbfiill House WMIharaaowsthe HOgSmlll on a pmWnoftfwsiteandihe~wasproWyplantedin To conttnue wswrds one has to want stbng the very thehey&yd~UHwse,whenR~krrcmmasT~ busy and pavementlass Old MakIen h.The bti@ over Halr~~s~oft904 ~the~bythii name). th~il~AlarkstMtroundaryBetween~tSs& ~of~trees,~ewrlmu~a~mdmayand the site we call Hogsmiil Valleyy bdkboldwarrdentIIWodla&th;lt~ncecowAttrearea. Apart from !he miwa&, all pruts of Uw Wll ~wo&ntiiswymixd.#a~~,and~are sitearewtol~tohplblEc. mmeflneaWsp&mmakngdw~bwndary. ~thegafrs,~suchas~,~IUmeand~ ~wfaunda~for~inthswbpy.Someofthe mm- w WI K&.B~Is Old Wden Common arid& TQ2t2660 Am 12ha Thii small sfrip of land occupies a stoep slope abwe a bend in the Hagsmitl Rk.To the mth, across Chwch Road, lie hmnanbs of the old vilbd Maiden In the form of the mdysewenteenth century St John's Church, dw Mamw Hwse and knwFan. This comer still has a plasm@ rural fwl to it, Until this century, Old WnCommon ~wa&acwlsiderablyhrgerawtotbsasthl tml of thii is tw buih m.Recent hdngdhhs the she immedito the mt, and to the wet is Church Road, bm,canbe fwind. ~ndWhid,hrrtheropenWdopasdoml$therhrer. TtM~pmtof~~tate,~thedd~,CTtm vegetstion Is a phmgrnlxture of woodland, scrub and tall gmland. -- - -- Na#ure&lwadbnh~~~epnThgmes AgoodmgedgcassW~~k~ Agsbdvbdthe~ispmWbytheWdlepath throughw$themany~mItre~,~ ~ne;nthtlmWmaddVwdte.MuchofIhas been a-le~l=@wM-m!W d~~wjfh~,mhmdalder,butthereare~l bidwesWws~~d~~areas a! W-MI gmW and swb left Win and ~~jndude~~,~~~,ad~nttothe~~inth~mbeing Oat~istftemaln~dW~~buta~~by~~~~~.fhrolrghmuchof ~~of~~~bg~~~i%l~w~~they8ar,~~pat~hes~~0f~ twtmandmblesm~ m2pfhe yeiellow~.Here9nd~~~~have~~ ~ngs,whkbwillbehstinrmaWrerJ&Wy~11a andonew~~hsrver~~alongIhetopof su'~mawlng regime is mot IfMuM. SucQl a Pegkwsl could the mbankmant. boneculpe~ywinlateAtig~eiremw&tttec@pi&. Caarse~btok~in~m~~t9rn Ttw: nvostspcbiioh areas of gW8ndrxrul Q side d the artting, anCt on Mh &dwf~.W~emu& QI!he M#geA ~kywffl~ba~~olhinvadi~ Oat gas, oodr's-facotreh gm@d tdtd h&-grw W& am its main con$tihms+butthO@l mw>~, *&-maAdyofm-,m bMSfoot-Wl,~~~~~$rr,itiso irr~,l~~.Inkates@ng,theMay abdant, fmlfy;an a~~e~forttts f~ssedy ~~awwny~lhazeo\rerh~. O~titfflallpsltchd~~ Bme&thed@pshadecastbythe~,~~ ~of~h~mrsw, M-Comg!m&r&and hard~are~and~- ~Ib~~mW~found~tedwithIhe dm,~k~dthe~risveryoid.Qn@~tw ~~~wt~hGenaedtha onthe~pr~oftha mmm. *~a~nngeofWng~a~!mm Tfielandkm&mmiaMMism Ww~g~~,~~cwmnonSt30hn's~~,. ~~~e~dftlwsite,~Aditchatb~~dmp~f# , wmwehwch oftt~~~tt~~~gm~tp~~~~ Wmdwwdlng,tcpW~Wdliup~theGrapsortle,mWmtgawnmfw!heb ~mHIY&lfdyW~k~~~.~wlllddybeofamkatwdlandfd~the~ofmad~~ilwlllhe mmsary IriWnearWm~~tlae~mt~~fb~,in~~W~~,~~~ from WngcmnpWy~,aslate WMwould of dder&,$&.wW mitN ml Wuebells, man- hiRderplWic~ard~d~~. ~sgreadI~&%g~dhg~andifso,how larr~a w. - C Wfsan~tedona~dayinBatfYsumnwr,~ grasshdsaraaWwah~sueh~b~sldpprs,commgn w~n6~r~y~pase~utttng bh,meah W atid ,Wan- of~bumets,aday-~ngmthwith~, Qrldref TQ163633 ~ish-Wwingswith~~.~rds~u~e~fW Area $5 k s~include@#mhesmtI~.Thek@moften The#$unkroad,asltcwesMeffyintoandmdtb besiMn~u~bh~ays, warchingwith~~~~Mforprey @&MI Mngstm, Chessirlgton and Chygab, Waf heM in the grassy verges. paswhwgham~cufDmgunm~, The woodland on,W eutliq witl maWein in an& '~w~hw~bwn-.~wrth d-thhm,an u~~~eaap.hhmr, ~b@@Iw$l1a&Qf~wlfhi#0~,the tb gtm4WldU grWIp'6hqgefe if 8 0 left ~tr'~~bysung~isofparticldar~vabunma~~,mdthed~~dW~wiB~~~ to~a~whi6hwfllincreaseasthe~ isnopubf~mws,butthed~,prokddesajhmt mawe- wmnglt* 66 W.@II 7 Hopping Wood and growthofaq~o~,anda~opwl~yam~~~ Coomhe Wood of W site is lbelng man@ as a Ray meadtav. Theroarofkafflcon~e~~W~fd lRoodland~,but~thbarangeofwwod~ birdscan kmhere.fhe~M~dhg-tailedtirs can~~heardas~~Iiib3rdpwilhthdrbng M~ta&Witkom~fo~~ifor~and h!hwsidq birdfQund~isthegreatspotted -I. Asone~he~~&themhwn brna~~,~f~providesagcrod~of bothWMs.Thepaihbymd~beaweenaW ~mw~boundaryafCm#RtreWood~ local nmefwthb~section).mingbpqthkam thewdisadeepdM andbank,thhtrddesof wttichare mmdinatfchm~of~,~~ w3sbhd-,MngW~luBbutprrddy WdIdtMstle* ~d~wolodlandzomeerstoful0by~,~ ~ed~theroad~theBeretlery~,~ fomlerpWm$,andsuisofmmmfCKisjn. Hmm, abngh*ofmby~~afew§~~oaksd mafurehazelcop@mwgg&ag~~ul~T~ fha~dthewoodLfounda~~of~s wliMlncd*gean, tKmkwkM-1 pal, sweet dMix4 adlime. ThrolrghPuttha~ern~oftkeW,oak, sUvarblrchandash~~h@yintheearropy,M ~Wtobemuch~~~thamin~~ure resweandthe~firubhyerb~&m~Inmarny~ the~pisdamibyelderandndW-perhctps immtlrqthe of^^^^^. In Wsmatlarams wkeWlsa majxcMnpQnenfd* [email protected] spring, Wl,h* @t and woo$ mane add dour tottrs-w~the~bfuDlye~.