Keston Commons
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o m e t o YO We l c U R H e a t h l a n d H e r i t a g e h We s t w ic kh a m , Hayes a n d K eston C o m mon s H P a Bromley ic y k e h s WestWest WickhamWickham CommonCommon TQTQ 400652 - 9 ha ur st Lane S t re Tel 020 8660 8533 e Hayes Common Hayes Station t Hayes Common TQ 406652 - 79 ha B d a a s o t Keston Common TQ 417640 - 21 ha o R n y R e o l Tel 01689 862815 k a C a ro d yd O P on Road A232 3 3 VegetationVegetation on each of the thrthreeee ccommonsommons P 2 is dominateddominated byby secsecondaryondary oak-biroak-birchch West Wickham P P A d H Common a e Keston o woodland,woodland, thathatt has grgrownown up sincsincee the last wwarar a t R Common h f i m but the visitorvisitor will also fi nd signifi cantcant areasareas of e a ld h r R e o heathlandheathland and acid grassland,grassland, favouringfavouring a wide varietyvariety of t a s d P e characteristiccharacteristic invertebrates,invertebrates, birdsbirds and reptiles.reptiles. P W WestWest WickhamWickham CommonCommon featuresfeatures wonderfulwonderful veteranveteran oak pollards,pollards, patchespatches of relictrelict heaheathlandthland and acid grgrassland.assland. HaHayesyes CCommonommon incincorporatesorporates bbothoth long established and recently restored areas of heathland and acid grassland. It boasts an assortment of uncommon plants including bell heather, lousewort and heath milkwort. Keston Common includes one of London’s few surviving valley mires. Cross-leaved heath, common cotton-grass, bog asphodel, sedges and bog-mosses are amongst the species favoured by the wet, acidic conditions here. Up the slopes are open areas of acid grassland and heather, bordered by areas of pine. All three commons show evidence of Bronze Age activity and the earthworks at Keston are designated as an ancient monument. Management of the surviving heather areas today is supported by a rolling programme of restoration – with vital help from local community groups - to ensure the long-term viability of the heathland and the plant and animal species which depend upon it. A network of informal paths provide good walking conditions through much of the year and a single hour or a whole day can be very pleasantly spent here. The commons have been hugely popular with day trippers since Edwardian times. Getting there Hayes 61, 119, 138, 246, 320, 336, 353, 358, R2 (limited service on 146, 402) M25: J4/6 Car parks: as shown Foot: Section 3 of the London Loop connects all 3 sites Look out for LHH information boards on site.