Visiting the Surrey Countryside a Guide for Parents and Teachers of Children with Autism
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Visiting the Surrey countryside This guide represents the fifth in a series of local guides designed to help parents, carers and teachers to engage children with autism and related disabilities with the natural environment. It should also prove useful to those living and working with adults with autism. The guide begins by considering why visiting the countryside and experiencing the natural world can be especially valuable for children with autism. This is followed by a guide to twenty-four ‘natural places’ in the Surrey countryside, which children with autism might enjoy visiting. The guide concludes with a series of case stories set in Surrey nature reserves, describing visits by children from local special schools. Supported by ISBN 978-0-9571525-8-8 a guide for parents and teachers Published by of children with autism David Blakesley and Tharada Blakesley Visiting the Surrey countryside a guide for parents and teachers of children with autism David Blakesley and Tharada Blakesley Foreword by Virginia McKenna OBE i Citation For bibliographic purposes, this book should be referred to as Blakesley, D and Blakesley, T. 2015. Visiting the Surrey Countryside: a guide for parents and teachers of children with autism. Autism and Nature, Kent. The rights of David Blakesley and Tharada Blakesley to be identified as the Authors of this work have been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Copyright © rests with the authors Illustrations © Tharada Blakesley; photographs © David Blakesley, unless stated in the text All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior permission of the authors. First published 2015 British-Library-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Cover photograph: Surrey Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve at St Martha’s Hill. Designed by Pisces Publications Published by Autism and Nature Printed by Gomer Press Ltd ISBN 978-0-9571525-8-8 All reasonable efforts have been made by the authors to trace the copyright owners of the material quoted in this book and any images reproduced in this book. In the event that the authors or publishers are notified of any mistakes or omissions by copyright owners after publication of this book, the authors and the publishers will endeavour to rectify the position accordingly for any subsequent printing. David Blakesley (Autism and Nature) is a writer and naturalist. Tharada Blakesley (Autism and Nature) is a writer and illustrator. www.autismandnature.org.uk Disclaimer The information presented in this book on behalf of the authors is believed to be accurate and correct at the time of publication, but this cannot be guaranteed. We cannot be held responsible for any changes in access, or any damage which might result from visitors trespassing on private property. We recommend visitors to obtain maps of the areas, and to seek up to date information from the websites of the various landowners. Readers must take all appropriate steps to ensure health and safety of all users, and to follow their own health and safety policy. Neither the publisher nor the authors can be held responsible for any consequences arising from the use of the information contained herein, including accidents or damage as a result of its use or the implementation of any of the recommendations within this book. ii Contents Foreword ............................................................................... iv Acknowledgements .................................................................. v Preface .................................................................................vi Part 1 Introduction .................................................................1 Part 2 Natural places to visit in Surrey .......................................5 Chobham Common ................................................................6 Riverside Walk, Virginia Water ................................................8 Durfold Wood .......................................................................9 Sidney Wood and Fir Tree Copse ............................................ 10 Claremont Landscape Garden................................................ 12 RHS Garden Wisley .............................................................. 14 Hatchlands Park ................................................................. 16 Bookham Commons ............................................................. 18 Banstead Woods ................................................................. 20 Harewoods......................................................................... 22 Staffhurst, Great Earls and Little Earls Wood .......................... 24 Nutfield Marshes and Mercers Country Park ............................ 26 Surrey Hills AONB .................................................................. 27 Farnham Heath ................................................................... 28 Devil’s Punch Bowl .............................................................. 30 Thursley Common ............................................................... 32 Winkworth Arboretum ......................................................... 34 Newlands Corner ................................................................ 36 St Martha’s Hill .................................................................. 37 White Down and Blatchford Down ......................................... 38 Polesden Lacey .................................................................. 40 Denbies Hillside ................................................................. 42 Box Hill ............................................................................. 44 Marden Park and Great Church Wood ..................................... 46 Reigate Hill and Gatton Park ................................................ 48 Part 3 Case Stories ..................................................................49 Further reading ..................................................................... 62 iii Foreword I have been very fortunate in my life to have travelled to many different countries, seen awe-inspiring views and experienced the cold of high mountain tops, the heat of Africa, the shapes and shadows and sounds of forests. But there is nowhere that fascinates me more, that always draws me back on an invisible thread, than my home in the Surrey Hills where I have lived for 58 years. I look far into the distance where the North Downs shape the skyline. I marvel at the complex shapes of the trees in winter, the soft colours as the leaves emerge in spring, the full-blown rich greens of summer and the mesmerising vibrant golds, reds and rusts of autumn. One of the greatest joys is to walk in those woods. All one’s senses are truly alive. So I can imagine nothing more wonderful than for young people and children to be given this kind of experience. So many of us live in a world surrounded by technology, a world of busy, noisy streets. This is what so many people are used to and, because of that, the thought of walking silently in a wood – the only sound being the song of birds or the trickle of a stream – might seem daunting to say the least. But once the first step has been taken, life will never be the same. Breathing the clean air, seeing the shoots of ferns in the spring, glimpsing a squirrel as it scampers across the path and rushes up a tree – or the rich colours of a pheasant’s feathers as he disappears into the undergrowth. And then, lying on some moss or leaves and looking up at the sky through the branches of the forest. These are experiences that money can’t buy. And I mustn’t forget the smells! Of damp earth, of bluebells, of ferns. Surrey is an extraordinary county. Not far from London or the sea, the variety of landscape is incredible, and those of us who live here or visit are determined that this little jewel of the natural world should never be destroyed. We all know that nature is a healer, that it is a great gift whatever age we are. So whether they are going to climb a high hill, study the plants, walk along a river, splash through streams or sit and look at the view, listening to nature’s voices, the young people who come here will be touched by nature’s kindly hand and, I’m sure, will long to return. Virginia McKenna OBE Born Free Foundation (http://www.bornfree.org.uk/) March 2015 iv Acknowledgements This guide has been generously funded by the Nineveh Charitable Trust, Woodland Trust and Woodlands.co.uk, and we are particularly grateful to Robert Lewis (Nineveh Charitable Trust), Shona Morton (Woodland Trust) and Margaret Hanton (Woodlands.co.uk) for their support of our work. We would also like to thank the National Autistic Society Surrey Branch and Surrey Wildlife Trust for their help with the distribution of this guide. We would especially like to thank Virginia McKenna OBE for writing such a thoughtful and inspiring Foreword. We would also like to thank Joanna Carter (Natural England), Susan Edwards and Neil Jameson (Surrey Wildlife Trust) for hosting the countryside visits featured in Part 3. We are indebted to the teachers and teaching assistants who took part in the countryside visits, and provided helpful comments and feedback. They include: Sue Thelton and her colleagues from Freemantles School; Charlotte Purkiss, Penny Phillips and their colleagues from The Abbey School; and Francesca Arocas and her colleagues from St Joseph’s Specialist School and College. We would especially like to thank