What lives here? Come and see Studham Common Resident and visiting In an area of outstanding animals include: for yourself  foxes natural beauty

Hugh Clark FRCP Clark Hugh hazel dormouse  bats  voles & shrews Amongst our mammal  hares & rabbits community we have the outstanding hazel dormouse, a rare and protected species natural beauty

red kite The Common is used by over 50 species of birds, Whether you want to join FOSC and help us in any including: way you can, or if you want to just come and enjoy this amazing natural environment, we’d love to see you on  skylarks Studham Common soon.  kestrels Look out for red kites, here  buzzards since 2006, following their How to get here  woodpeckers reintroduction to the Chilterns Studham lies 10km (6 miles) west of the M1 (Junction 9 or 10) and the A5. It is 6km (4 miles) due south of small copper In the meadows, look on the B4541 and 12km (7 miles) north of out for these butterflies: Hemel Hempstead, just off the A4146. For satnavs use  small tortoiseshell post code LU6 2QA or grid reference TL 02317 15781.  common blue Parking: There are small car parks on East and Middle  marbled white Our diverse insect community Commons (see map inside)  meadow brown includes 26 species of butterfly For more information Visit us online at www.foscomm.org There are over 200 plant Common in name, Email us at [email protected] species here, including: Telephone: See website for contact details amazing in nature  wild orchids bee orchid  rosebay willow-herb To report a problem, contact Central Council's Ranger  oxeye daisy service on 01525 237760 Thanks to careful  bluebells conservation, orchids and  gorse other native flowers are  blackthorn making a comeback Supported by Studham Common is a place to have fun! Why not:  play hide and seek  enjoy a picnic  try geocaching  have a wildlife With thanks to the Chilterns Conservation Board for help in funding this leaflet  pick blackberries spotting competition and to écoutez creative for donating their design services www.foscomm.org Discover Friends of We need your help Studham Common Studham Common learn Studham Common, in , has been used conserving as common land for centuries and is now a designated discover County Wildlife Site. Covering approximately 30 hectares protecting (74 acres), it is a beautiful, rich and diverse natural habitat socialise featuring grassland, woodland, scrub thickets and enhancing hedgerows, some of which date from medieval times. A little help from you will go a long way to keeping encouraging Studham Common beautiful for everyone. We are As well as being important for wildlife, Studham always keen to hear from people who would like to Common plays a vital part in enhancing the quality of The land that makes up Studham Common is owned join our once-a-month conservation activity days. life for local people. Winding paths can be explored by Council. However, the much- through the woodland, the open land offers plenty of You could get involved in: needed conservation work that keeps this wildlife haven space to relax and escape into nature, and there is a really special is primarily undertaken by the Friends  setting up nesting boxes for bats, birds or dormice small playing field in the western section. of Studham Common (FOSC), with support and  clearing footpaths guidance from the Council and the Greensand Trust.  restoring hedgerows beautiful Since 1997, we have been:  wildlife surveys rich  protecting and enhancing wildlife diversity Learn new skills  raising local awareness of the importance and We work together with a number of local organisations diverse value of the Common through which we offer a variety of training sessions habitat  improving public access and encouraging wider use from first aid to brush cutter safety. Our efforts, all completely voluntary, have been Discover local wildlife rewarded with more wildlife, native plants being From time to time we offer talks and guided walks encouraged to return and seeing more and more around the Common to discover more about the plants space to relax people enjoying the Common. In the last few years, we and wildlife living here. have also been delighted to receive an annual Green Make new friends escape into nature Flag Award for an outstanding contribution to the care We work hard on the Common, but we also have fun. of this green space, for visitors and wildlife alike. We enjoy a number of social events throughout the year Our work includes restoring hedgerows, clearing and we reward volunteers attending our conservation invasive plants to encourage more diverse habitats activity days with a fine picnic lunch. and ensuring that paths remain passable for visitors to explore the Common. Without our ongoing efforts, Studham Common would not be as beautiful, rich or accessible as it is today. To find out more about the history, habitats and wildlife To find out more, visit our website at www.foscomm.org here visit www.foscomm.org 10 Cross over Byslips Road to Middle 9 Turn left to return to Middle Common. Dead trees like the one on your left provide a vital source of insect food Around Studham Common Common. Continue along the for woodpeckers and other birds. The trees and thick scrub to the right cover pits once used to excavate for red Circular walk 2.4km (about 1.5 miles) bottom path to return to the War gravel. The verges here are some of the best in the area for wild flowers and butterflies. The yellow bird’s-foot Memorial, or take a detour up to trefoil is food for the caterpillars of the Common blue butterfly. The caterpillars of the marbled white and various General Access Information Jubilee Copse. Look out for rooks “brown” butterflies feed on the grasses, and drink the nectar of the bramble, knapweed and thistle flowers. In Points of Interest The route around the Commons has no and green woodpeckers foraging some years you may spot wild orchids. FOSC volunteers periodically clear areas of scrub and thick grasses to gates, styles or steps. Pushchair and for insects in the grass. create a variety of ‘microclimates’, essential for encouraging a wide diversity of wild flowers and insects. 1 wheelchair users may encounter some The walk starts and ends at the War Memorial steep slopes, rough ground and sections on West Common, close to the Red Lion pub. with adverse camber. Details are at www.foscomm.org 0 500m 8 Enjoy the open grass area, where popular Follow the path to the left, along events like Studham’s May Fair take place. the hedge that forms the boundary to Dunstable between Bedfordshire and to A5 . This mature hedgerow Walk to is a haven for wildlife. It is one of the 2 & Dunstable Downs With the Red Lion to your right, few sites in the county where the head across the Common and hazel dormouse, a protected species, D

take the bridleway westwards, OA is found. Hazel in the hedge is an R N towards the Old School House. S important food for them. Blackthorn Bell Inn PH P I L In spring, you can see the white Church S to Markyate is abundant here and provides Studham Y flowers of pignut in the rough B beautiful white blossoms in spring grass; badgers enjoy eating and sloes in autumn. Bluebells grow H ROAD ORT its tubers. In summer, see the SW in the shade of the large beech trees. KEN vibrant purple flowers of rosebay Red Lion Follow the path down the slope to PH 10 L. the concrete track that runs along the willow-herb and knapweed. C H 1 9 C R bottom of the Common. U P H War C 2 Jubilee Middle Icknield V D Memorial A OA East Way Trail L R Copse D 3 L H Common Optional detour/Green walk: E C

Y R On your left is a small wood, U OA Common H C R C About 30 minutes L O S flanked by blackthorn scrub. P S West I E 3 Turn right into the neighbouring field and L 8 Wild hop vines climb through the Common S Y follow the path which leads towards the bushes on the right. The gorse School and 4 6 B P Old School House sports field on Clements End Road. Here you here was once an important can watch cricket in summer, before returning 5 source of fuel for the commoners 7 via Common Road and the Old School House and now provides valuable C (see route marked in green on the map) L E protection for nesting birds. M Access Information E V N Bracken grows alongside the A T The Green Walk has three narrow kissing gates. L S L E Some parts of this route are uneven and can be bridleway and elsewhere on the E N Y D water-logged or muddy after rain. R R

Common. In spring its unfurling O O A A D “crosier” tips look very attractive. D 7 Every year FOSC volunteers Cross Byslips Road to join the path cut back bracken and bramble P Parking on East Common. Continue beside MMON ROAD to keep paths open and create CO Common walk the southern boundary hedgerow. glades amongst the trees. Detour (30 min.) Here, too, hedgerow restoration work Studham Sports is underway and the traditional craft of and Socal Club Detour (20 min.) Rights of way hedgelaying was begun in 2013.

Optional detour/Blue Walk: About 20 minutes Waste bins This route takes you past the school and up Valley Road 6 to Hemel Hempstead Sit and enjoy the fine views over the to Studham’s beautiful 13th Century Church, returning Dog waste bins to West Common along pleasant footpaths. One route to Gaddesden Row Common from the bench along this Bridleway passes the traditional Bell PH dating back to the middle path. An ideal place to spot kestrels, ages. (See routes on the map.) For the more energetic, sparrow-hawks, buzzards, red kites footpaths beyond the church take you to Whipsnade 4 5 and the occasional hare. The Common and Dunstable Downs, with magnificent views across 70 metres before the Old School House, take the path on the left running The path now crosses the road to Middle Common. Continue is at its best in early summer, with the Vale of Aylesbury. up into the wood. At the top of the incline, follow the path along the edge of straight ahead, along the southern boundary path, the highest a succession of grasses and wild Access Information the wood. Most of the woodland here dates from after World War II. Near point of the Common. Looking to your left, you will see three flowers, such as buttercups, sorrel, This walk has no gates, stiles or steps. It is likely to be suitable the path there are cherry, oak, hawthorn and holly trees plus some recently beech copses planted in 1973 and further over, the Jubilee oxeye daisy and clovers. Mowing for all terrain pushchairs during drier months. Some parts of this for hay is left until late in the season route are on roads with no pavement. planted hazels. On the left are some deep pits, possibly where people dug Copse, planted by villagers in 1977 to commemorate the Queen’s out chalk to improve heavy clay soils. Speckled wood butterflies often fly in Silver Jubilee. On your right you will see a young hedgerow to ensure that seeds have set and the patches of sunlight. planted by FOSC volunteers to fill gaps in the old hedge. skylarks have finished ground-nesting.