Farnham Heath

Our key feature of the site is our vast swathes of heather that stretch as far as the eye can see, the heather is at its best during the summer months of July and August, at this time it is in full bloom with a variety of shades of violet and purple. The heather supports a huge variety of species including nightjar, Dartford warber, stonechat, tree pipit and woodlark.

A key feature of heathland is poor acidic sandy soils, with lots of areas of bare ground, these areas are important for many species of reptile, including sand lizards and adders which can be seen on the reserve as well as invertebrates such as the green tiger beetle.

Acid grassland habitat is vital for a rare and endangered species that can be heard chirping throughout April to July. The field cricket is only found on eight sites in the UK and we are very lucky to have them here at Farnham.

Woodland and coppice habitat supports a vast array of species including visiting siskins, breeding bullfinches, crossbill and redstart. Not forgetting many invertebrates including the beautiful white admiral which can be spotted near the coppice.

Historically, heathlands would have been maintained by human and animal interaction. It was a vital resource for our ancestors, who found a use for almost everything. Heather was cut for bedding, medicines and soaps. Turf was dug and removed for fuel, bracken was taken to be used in glass making. Many animals would have also been put onto the heath to graze. All of these actions created an array of micro habitats allowing specialist heathland species to flourish.

These traditional practices have been lost as technology has progressed, leading to the decline of heathlands, which have been destroyed through neglect or in the case of Farnham Heath transformed entirely for an alternate use. Farnham Heath became a plantation in order to meet demands for timber. As the conifers grew the heather was out shadowed and all of the heathland species moved on. 

Since acquiring Farnham Heath in 2002, we have been reverting it back to heathland, this has been a huge success. The management now focusses on maintaining the habitat. Removing the scrub, grazing the land and mimicking the practices of our ancestors in order maintain this fragile and beautiful landscape. The retained woodland and coppice is excellent for many species of wildlife including butterflies, bats and badgers! 

RSPB Farnham Heath has developed into a fantastic home for nature, helped by the tremendous support of many individuals, groups and organisations. In addition to RSPB members and supporters, local community members and a tireless team of volunteers, we would particularly like to thank the following organisations for their financial support:
 

• Barclays
• Biffa Award through the Landfill Community Fund
• British Gas
• HSBC
• Natural England through Defra
• RBS Lombard
• SITA Trust through the Landfill Community Fund
• Surrey Hills AONB
• Vodafone

Farnham Heath is part of the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and an example of heathland restoration in progress.