We own 2.5ha of the Summerlands Estate, including semi-ancient woodland, grassland and a pond. The site also received a Surrey Wildlife Garden Award in 2019 and has been a Green Flag Award-winning site since 2019.
Semi-ancient woodland
Summerlands estate has a significant area of ancient semi-natural woodland. Ancient woodlands are classified as being continuously wooded since at least 1600 AD. They are unique and irreplaceable, highly valued for rich wildlife communities, soils and cultural heritage.
Summerlands’ woods are predominantly broadleaf in nature, consisting of oak and ash with a hazel, holly and hawthorn understory. Management techniques have opened up the understory and allowed more light to reach the woodland floor. This has encouraged the development of ground flora.
The woodland also provides an essential habitat for invertebrates through the dead and decaying wood it contains.
Wildflower meadow
Areas of grassland within the estate were converted into wildflower meadow by volunteers and Summerlands Estate Residents Association in 2018. The ground was scarified to remove the top layer of vegetation and a grasses and wildflower seed mix was sown.
The meadow is cut each autumn and the cuttings removed, preventing coarse vegetation from establishing, whilst allowing flowers and grasses time to set seed.
Wildflower meadows created within urban areas such as this site form part of a larger habitat mosaic made from gardens and other green spaces. Wildflower meadows offer an attractive and diverse habitat for the benefit of a range of species and for people to enjoy.
There was a sharp decline in the variety and abundance of wildflower meadows across the UK countryside during the 20th century. This was due to changes in agricultural practices and policy and an increase in the development of urban areas.
Wildflowers and native grasses play an integral role in providing food sources and shelter to a range of invertebrates and other wildlife. If wildflower meadows were to vanish, so would pollinators and other insects, and subsequently so would the animals that feed on invertebrates such as birds and hedgehogs. However, through planting diverse wildflower meadows, we provide a green haven for a range of species within an urban environment.
Species that benefit
Many different species gain from the presence of wildflower meadows through the provision of quality foraging sources and habitats that have otherwise been lost.
Flower species such as Common Knapweed provide food sources for the Marbled white butterfly, whilst less colourful plants such as the Common Nettle provide a larval food source for numerous butterfly species like the comma, peacock, red admiral and small tortoiseshell.
It is the diversity and relative abundance of various food sources that is of most importance when creating and enhancing habitat for the benefit of a range of species.
Wildlife pond
In the south-west of the site, there is a relatively large wildlife pond.
The bank supports a mixture of grasses, bramble, sedges, flowering plants and coppiced willow along with a stand of mature weeping willow.
The pond supports common toad, palmate newts, smooth newts and the legally protected great crested newt. The pond also provides breeding opportunities for dragonflies and damselflies. Moorhens can also be found raising chicks in this habitat.
Volunteering opportunities
There are bi-weekly volunteer sessions throughout the winter season and monthly volunteer sessions in the summer, run by the site’s countryside ranger.
Volunteering tasks at Summerlands Woodlands
The site benefits from having a committed residents association who assist with the conservation management of the site.
The site has a management plan, please contact us if you would like a copy: parks&countryside@waverley.gov.uk