Working with the National Trust to preserve Limpsfield Common for future generations
Author: thewordbird
I'm a PR consultant, copywriter, social media manager and blog editor.
I grew up in South East England, but have lived in France, Italy, Australia and in the beautiful Lecrin Valley near Granada in Spain. Now I work from home in the pretty village of #Limpsfield, Surrey, surrounded by the rolling hills of the North Downs and the hum of the delightfully picturesque M25!
The sun’s out and we’re looking forward to a sunny Surrey Day today at the Air Raid Shelters!
We’re all ready to go and BBC Radio Surrey will be running more of our podcast today (so stay tuned), as well as coming along at 1pm to interview our dashing volunteers before our Open Day commences!
Make sure you listen to this fascinating interview in full and thanks so much to the team at Visit Surrey and BBC Radio Surrey for their interest and help promoting our wonderful heritage.
See you at the Air Raid Shelters today if you’ve booked a slot.
Please remember:
– Bring cash donation – every bit helps to maintain the shelters.
– Walk if you’re local or park at the NT car parks – Grub Street, New Road, or Brick Kiln Lane.
The Legion will also be open having a Surrey Day /VE Day party (from 2PM, open to everyone, including non-members – live music, food & drink) and the Limpsfield 4th X1 are playing cricket, so it will be busy up at Grub Street!!
Enjoy the day, celebrate all that’s amazing about Surrey and be grateful to all those who served and lived through WW2.
Thank you too to our amazing volunteers on the Taskforce who help to keep the Air Raid Shelters and the rest of Limpsfield Common in tip top condition all year round.
If you didn’t manage to tune in, you can listen to the first part of the Visit Surrey podcast on BBC Radio Surrey, which aired this morning with Sarah Gorrell (11.10AM).
Our wonderful Air Raid Warden, Rob Davey, takes Lewis Mason into the shelters to talk about what it was like in wartime Limpsfield for local children…
BBC Radio Surrey will be broadcasting more clips from the Visit Surrey podcast in the run up to Surrey Day on 10th May.
Our slots for the upcoming OPEN DAY on 10 May are fully booked, but you can reserve your places for the summer open day on 20 July HERE.
Tickets are free; donations on the day are most welcome!
🍄 May 3 – Ridlands Grove | Ancient woodland & biodiversity – The planned Ranger Walk this Saturday 3rd May at Ridlands Grove will now take place from 10-11AM instead of 2-3PM. Please meet in the Ridlands Grove Car Park at 10AM.
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to learn and explore.
Please note, we have had to postpone the remaining planned Ranger Walks until further notice. Please keep your eye on our social media for updates.
We’re excited to welcome FIKA Blends & Friends, a charming new vintage horse box café, to our High Chart Car Park on Moorhouse Road, Limpsfield Chart. Opening on Thursday 17 April at 9am, this delightful pop-up will be serving fresh coffee, teas, and locally baked treats to visitors enjoying the beautiful surrounding countryside.
Explore the beauty of Limpsfield Common with National Trust Ranger Conor McNeil on a series of guided walks running once or twice a month through to August! 🌳👣
Discover local wildlife, conservation efforts, and the rich history of these stunning landscapes. The first walk kicks off on Saturday, 12th April at High Chart (1-3pm), where you’ll learn about woodland management, Yalden Spring, and the historic use of the area. Meet by the noticeboard at High Chart Car Park (not Pinewood), on Moorhouse Road.
📅 Upcoming Walks:
🌲 April 12 – High Chart (1-3pm) | Woodland management & Yalden Spring
🍄 May 3 – Ridlands Grove (10-11 am * change in time) | Ancient woodland & biodiversity
🌾 June 7 – Happy Valley (1-2pm) | Heathland restoration & foraging
🌳 June 28 – High Chart (10-11am) | Conservation & local heritage
🍂 July 26 – Ridlands Grove (1-3pm) | Connectivity & flora/fauna
🐦 August 16 – West Heath (10-11am) | Biodiversity loss & garden escapes
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to learn and explore
More info:
April 12th – High Chart (1-3pm) – Meet by the noticeboard at High Chart Car Park (not Pinewood), on Moorhouse Road
Woodland management
Yalden Spring
Historic use of High Chart
May 3rd – Ridlands Grove (10-11AM) – Meet by the noticeboard at Ridlands Grove Car Park, Ridlands Lane
Ancient woodland
Recreational pressures
The importance of connectivity
Flora, Fauna & Fungi
June 7th – Happy Valley (1-2pm) – Meet by the noticeboard at New Road Car Park, New Road
Woodland management
Heathland restoration
Folklore & foraging
June 28th – High Chart (10-11am) – Meet by the noticeboard at High Chart Car Park, Moorhouse Road
Woodland management
Yalden Spring
Historic use of High Chart
July 26th – Ridlands Grove (1-3pm) – Meet by the noticeboard atRidlands Grove Car Park, Ridlands Lane
Ancient woodland
Recreational pressures
The importance of connectivity
Flora, Fauna & Fungi
August 16th – West Heath (10-11am) – Meet at the entrance to West Heath woods opposite Hazelwood School, Wolf’s Hill.
As always, we start with a huge thank you for your continued support. Your membership is vital in helping to maintain and protect Limpsfield Common. There’s already been lots going on in 2025 so here’s a quick update for you!
Stay Connected !
Have you seen our website, Facebook page, or local social media updates? These platforms keep you informed about what’s happening on the Common and the work of the Friends, the National Trust, and the Taskforce volunteers!
If you haven’t visited our website yet, check out the latest news and updates, as well as interesting articles on the work we and the National Trust / Taskforce do on the common (and why), plus lots of spotter guides for wildlife-watching on the Common! https://friendsoflimpsfieldcommon.org/
Dates for Your Diary
Air Raid Shelter Open Days – 10th May – Surrey Day (2-5 pm) and 20th July (2-4 pm)
Join our volunteer World War II Guides for a fascinating insight into this important local site. Learn about those stationed here, the experiences of local schoolchildren during air raids, and even what a Spigot Mortar is.
We will also be recording a special podcast with Visit Surrey all about Limpsfield in WW2. This will be broadcast on Surrey Day, 10th May via BBC Radio Surrey and then online on the Visit Surrey channel.
Chart Fair – Sunday 22nd June & Limpsfield Fête,Saturday 28th June
Come along to these popular local fairs, both 12-4pm. The Friends of Limpsfield Common, the National Trust, and the Parish Council will all have stalls—so stop by to say hello and find out more about our work in the community.
News!
FrogFest25! Did you manage to catch the frog spawning at Yalden Spring? Once again there was a fantastic attendance by frogs from far and wide. There is a lot of frogspawn in the pond, which we hope will survive to produce tadpoles. Watch the video here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1200884804981122
Great news for coffee lovers! This month, Fika Blends & Friends is rolling into the NT’s High Chart car park on Moorhouse Road. Founded by locals Cathryn Kelly and Rachel Scott-Taggart, with permission from the National Trust, their super cute horse trailer launches on Thursday 17th April and will be serving up delicious coffee Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, and bank holiday Mondays (9am-1pm), plus Mondays in the school holidays. Perfect for walkers (dogs welcome!) or just your morning caffeine. Follow them on Insta @FIKA.blendsandfriends!
Litter pickers needed! We’re also looking for new “Guardians”—a dedicated group of volunteers who walk the Common, litter-picking as they go. Numbers have dropped recently, so if you’d like to help keep Limpsfield Common beautiful, please contact Peter Beard at pbeard_41saxbys@yahoo.co.uk .
The Most Important News: A Change in Leadership !
2025 has already brought big changes for the National Trust Limpsfield Common Local Committee, with Tony Pearson and Yves Le Hur stepping down from their roles.
Tony Pearson has retired as Chair after three years in the role and seven years on the committee. He has been instrumental in working with the National Trust to shape the management of the Common and overseeing the Friends of Limpsfield Common’s conservation efforts. A Limpsfield resident since 1974, Tony remains an active volunteer with the Taskforce, Air Raid Shelters team, and East Surrey Walkers.
Stepping into the role of Chair is Ann Osborn, who is also a joint leader of Limpsfield in Bloom and a Limpsfield Parish Councillor.
Yves Le Hur has also stepped down as Treasurer after seven years on the committee, five of which he served in the role—including a year as interim Chair. He is succeeded by Paul Sharp, a retired chartered accountant from Limpsfield.
We also extend a warm welcome to Pippa Rouse, who has taken on the role of Secretary.
Our Annual Public Meeting will be held on Saturday 27th September at St Andrew’s Hall, Limpsfield Chart. Please save the date—more details to follow.
Help Us Spread the Word
Our volunteer, Sophie Martin, has created a Friends of Limpsfield Common poster—could you share it locally or pass it on digitally to friends, family, or your community?
2025 has already been eventful for the National Trust Limpsfield Common Local Committee, with a change in leadership as both Tony Pearson and Yves Le Hur step down from their roles.
Last summer, Jo Dyson from the National Trust Surrey Hills podcast team came to Limpsfield Common to meet with Conor McNeil to record an episode of her brilliant series called “Walk with a Ranger”, which takes a walk around the different National Trust areas of the Surrey Hills.
Yalden Spring, just a few hundred metres from the High Chart car park, is an incredibly special habitat. With our work on its regeneration well underway, we are seeing very positive signs of it becoming a “wetland heath” area, which is rare indeed and very good news for Limpsfield Common. But we need you to help us by keeping your dogs out of the pond. Here’s a friendly reminder as to why…
Limpsfield Common (owned by the National Trust) is commons land, aka open access land, on which the “right to roam” applies. Right to roam includes activities such as walking, running, watching wildlife and climbing, but other activities may not be allowed or may require permission.
Below is a run-down of the various rules that apply to Limpsfield Common and how you can help us to preserve this wonderful place for generations to come…
Friends of Limpsfield Common 