Hazeley Heath

Address: RSPB Hazeley Heath, Mattingley, Hook RG27 8LT

Grid ref: SU756578

Hazeley Heath is a fine example of lowland heath, more than 75 percent of which has been lost from the UK over the last 200 years. This tranquil reserve is home to some very special wildlife, such as nightjars, tree pipits, woodlarks and silver-studded blue butterflies.

Plan your visit

Open at all times.

Free entrance to RSPB members: Yes

Adults: Free

Children: Free

Facilities

No visitor centre
Car park off-site
Toilets off-site
Accessible toilets off-site
No Refreshments
Shop off-site

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

The nearest station is Winchfield.

By bus

The number 72 (Monday to Saturday) from Fleet stops near Hazeley Heath.

By road

The reserve is next to the B3011 near the village of Hartley Wintney where you can park. Please be aware that Hazeley Heath has no designated parking, although there is a small layby opposite the junction with Arrow Lane.

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

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Contact Hazeley Heath

RSPB Hazeley Heath, Mattingley, Hook RG27 8LT
01252 795632
@RSPB_SouthEast
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What will you see?

Our star species

Nightjar

Linger until dusk to encounter this amazing bird between May and July.

Red kite

These birds have made an incredible comeback and are now a widespread in the UK.

Great spotted woodpecker

The unmistakable hammering of this attractive black and white bird echoes out from the wooded areas of the reserve.

Dartford warbler

Keep an eye out for the Dartford warbler, which breeds at Hazeley Heath.

Mistle thrush

In the winter months the haunting song of the mistle thrush sets the ambiance for the reserve.

Spring comes early at Hazeley, as woodlarks herald the coming season with their beautiful, mellow, flute like song as early as February. Adders emerge to bask in the spring sunshine.

The summer evenings are filled with the distinctive 'churr' of nightjars and the warblers are in full song during the day. Silver studded blue butterflies dance above the heath.

The heathland is at its most colourful this time of year - the purple heather contrasts against the yellow gorse flowers and the trees put on their autumn show. The migrants are leaving us for warmer climes but you'll still spot the colourful jays caching acorns for the winter.

After the songs of spring and summer and the bright colours of autumn the heath in winter can seem a cold and dull affair. Those brave enough to venture out will still find plenty of wildlife as the fallow deer herd move through searching for food and Dartford warblers scold passers by from deep in the gorse.

About Hazeley Heath

Habitat

Hazeley Heath is a surviving vestige of a once sprawling lowland heathland of south England. As well as heathland, habitats include some mire/bog and deciduous woodland.

This tranquil heathland is home to some very special wildlife such as nightjars, tree pipits, woodlarks and silver-studded blue butterflies. These heathland specialists depend on a habitat which is rarer than the Amazon rainforest. Lowland heath still faces significant threats that put pressure on the specialised wildlife that rely on a fragile habitat. If heathland is lost, so is its unique wildlife.

Conservation

An ancient habitat, heathlands were first created when Bronze Age farmers started clearing woodland to create grazing land and provide building materials. It continued to be used by people for centuries, for grazing, fuel and materials. Their activities maintained an open landscape and created a varied mosaic of micro-habitats within the heathland, including bare ground, which benefited the heathland wildlife. But from the early 20th century, many traditional practices started to decline and this rare habitat was lost.

To improve the heathland at Hazeley, we are undertaking a program of tree felling, scrub clearance, heather mowing, bracken control and soil scraping. This will mimic some of the traditional land uses that maintained the heath for millennia and create ideal conditions for heathland wildlife.

Unfortunately, heathland restoration is rarely a pretty process. It can involve the use of heavy machinery and takes time. While we carry out the work, parts of the heathland may look a little unsightly - please bear with us - it will look better eventually!

Partners

The work at Hazeley is being generously supported by funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (£859,900 to purchase the land and finance its early management), Natural England through Defra and a grant from the Pauline Meredith Charitable Trust.

Site information

Hazeley falls within the Thames Basin Special Protection Area, a series of fragmented heathland tracts across Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey. It is also designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and part of Natura 2000.

History of Hazeley Heath

The military found Hazeley Heath Common an excellent place to prepare for war, and The War Office commandeered it as a place for tank training during the Second World War. The site was full of damp sand pits and boggy swamps where scenarios could be created to embed these vast machines in order for REME troops to pull them out. This was essential training for front-line action.

Years later, a local boy came across several old tanks which had been abandoned on the site. Far from damaging the environment, this large vehicle movement on the site was great for its wildlife. Churning up tracts of land and demolishing bushes in many ways mimicked the actions of the commoners in earlier years, creating an ever-changing 'transitory' habitat necessary for lowland heathland, and had similar results to the RSPB's habitat works today.

Activities and events

Leisure activities

We run a programme of guided walks to introduce people to the heath and it's wildlife. Please see events pages on the website for more information.