Ashtead Common
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Ashtead Common is a 181 hectare wooded area to the north of the village of Ashtead in England which is open to the public. It is owned and managed by the City of London Corporation at no cost to the public. It forms part of a larger area of open countryside called Epsom and Ashstead Commons which is classed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
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[edit] Background
Ashtead Common has been part of the Epsom and Ashtead Commons Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1955 due to its community of breeding birds. It has also been a National Nature Reserve since 1995 due to the decaying wood of ancient trees and the rare invertebrates that live in it. It contains a wooded common with over 2,300 pollarded oaks[1] which are between 300 and 400 years old. These provide a habitat for many rare and endangered deadwood species. The area is of conservation interest in Britain and Europe. Also within the common there is bracken, scrub grassland, semi-improved neutral grassland and various aquatic habitats.
Trials have been undertaken to deal with the invasion of michalmas daisies.[2] It was concluded that grazing by goats was the most successful management option.
There is a Roman villa on the common as well as tile works.[3] These are scheduled ancient monuments. There are also some earthworks.
Due to the important nature of thea area, in the 1930s, when the private British Rail companies of the time wanted to join Chessington South railway station with Leatherhead railway station, they were denied planning permission.[citation needed]
[edit] Access
Ashtead Common runs from the M25 Junction 9 in Leatherhead to the outskirt of Epsom. There are many walking entrances to the common throughout north Ashtead, Leatherhead or Epsom:
- Leatherhead - Over the M25 behind B&Q on the A243, opposite Leatherhead Golf Club
- Ashtead - At the top of Ashtead Woods Road (private) Coming down Links Road, take the right immediately after Warwick Gardens, then over the style
- From Ashtead railway station - on the Waterloo/Victoria side
- Epsom - Take the Wells Road coming into town on the 1way system, go left, under bridge, next left
