Talks  and Walks are arranged at various times through the year.

For more details contact Friends of Farthing Downs

Telephone: 01737 554449

This proverb is first listed by John Haywood in 1546:

Hay is dried grass, traditionally harvested as food to be given to livestock in winter when there's no fresh grass available. To retain nutritional value, it's important the grass is dried quickly after cutting - sunshine and wind speed this up. It may be ruined by prolonged rain, as wet hay goes mouldy and should not be fed to livestock.

Apart from West Wickham Common, we've been making hay on all our Commons since the 1960s - though, of course, it's been taking place here for as long as people have used our historic landscapes and the land around them for food production.

Is hay-making still valid in the modern day? Yes - we must cut or graze our grassland to keep it open and we need to maintain the biodiversity of our meadows. Making hay helps us achieve this and provides fodder for our livestock.                                               Seven Acre on Kenley Common in June before it's cut for hay.

Our contractors start cutting some of our grass on Coulsdon & Kenley Commons in June but most is cut in July, with some areas on other Commons cut during the autumn months.

We cut grass to keep the Commons open. If the grass on Farthing Downs and the other City Commons wasn't cut or grazed, bushes would become established, displacing important and interesting wildflowers and grasses.

We cut some amenity areas around entrances and car parks regularly throughout the year and the cuttings are left to rot.

This produces short grass but with hardly any flowers - just a few dandelions. Grass cut in this way is generally very poor for wildlife.

Our hay meadows are cut once a year, when some of the wild plants have set seed. This tends to produce tall grassland, awash with wildflowers. Our hay meadows are rich in wildlife and support a variety of rare plants. We mow paths with shorter grass through the growing season, so you can enjoy the flowers and the insects attracted to them.

Nature's bed & breakfast

Scrub is a semi-natural habitat dominated by shrubs and small trees. It tends to be seen as a relentless tide of woody vegetation, under which grassland disappears if control is relaxed.

Ironically, whilst it obviously colonises open areas, species-rich scrub is itself becoming increasingly scarce, as it's succeeded by secondary woodland.

Scrub is important for providing 'bed and breakfast' for the communities of breeding birds found on Farthing Downs & New Hill.

Thorny bushes and young trees provide nesting habitats, while the variety of berries and seeds (together with the abundance of insects living in the open grass areas) offer a diverse food source throughout the year.

Why do we keep and manage scrub?

On Farthing Downs & New Hill - as with all our sites - scrub is an integral part of an ecologically rich mosaic of grassland, scrub, woodland and other habitats. It forms part of an ecological transition between open grassland and closed-canopy woodland,

and can cater for the greatest diversity of species.

Scrub is often perceived as a single homogenous habitat whereas, like any habitat, it can actually vary greatly in its composition, structure, age and biodiversity within a single. site. Whilst the mosaic of scrub on New Hill is not of national importance, it supports populations of insects and birds, so we manage it to maintain its interest for wildlife and for people.

                                       Open scrubland

Cutting and laying

The composition of plants in the scrub communities tends to be affected by soil fertility and dampness. The clay plateau of New Hill is dominated by hawthorn scrub with some oak, the lower slopes by hawthorn, dogwood and ash and the valley bottom by hawthorn and blackthorn. The stands of scrub across the ridge of the Downs, particularly on the eastern slopes, are dominated by hawthorn and oak.

As part of our future management, we'll be removing scrub from areas where it threatens species-rich grassland, but we shall be keeping it in other areas for the reasons mentioned. We'll be actively managing these areas, as the composition, age and structure of the scrub are all significant factors influencing the diversity of species living in it.

Some young trees and mature shrubs will be cut but then allowed to regrow, in a similar way to the coppicing used on our other Commons. We'll also lay over some mature scrub, similar to the way that hedges are created, and will restore some old hedgerows on New Hill. This work will help us achieve the diversity we seek.

Coulsdon Common is a 51 hectare (127 acre) area of grassland, scrub and woodland, lying within the London Green Belt. It's an important and diverse part of our local cultural and natural heritage, shaped by its geology and previous land-use. We're currently preparing new Local Plans for Coulsdon & Kenley Commons, in which you'll be able to discover more about these interesting sitesand our future aims for them. For the moment, let's focus on the underlying geology, together with  one aspect of our management of Coulsdon Common - maintaining and extending wood pasture.

What makes Coulsdon Common such a unique site is the sheer variety of habitat types found in such close proximity.

Calcareous (chalk) grassland, acid hedgerows, wood pasture and ancient woodland are all present. In the past.

There were also areas of health amongst the trees, as evidenced by a few lingering heathers. This diversity is partly due to a complex underlying geology, composed of alternating layers of chalk and clay with flint. The soil is unusual, as it varies from being basic to neutral and on to acidic in nature.

We'll continue working with the natural geology, by restoring and maintaining a mosaic of habitat types, both for the conservation of the environment and for the enjoyment of our visitors.

Trees, grass and cattle

The way in which Coulsdon Common was used in the past is important, too. Various owners and methods of land management have significantly influenced the vegetation we see today. The eastern part once formed the grounds of Neville House, with a 'parkland' feel and a collection of exotic trees still visible. Meanwhile, the central part of the Common, historically owned by the Lord of the Manor of Coulsdon, was known as Stytes Heath and had a more open landscape. Jacob sheep dining on Coulsdon Common.

We'll be consulting local people about the idea of restoring livestock to other parts of the Common, to restore the wood pasture. This historic landscape is found on a number of our Commons and supports a diversity of wildlife, so its conservation is important.

Wood pasture is an ancient landscape that combines open areas of grass or heath (pasture) with trees. It's the result of traditional practice dating back beyond the Middle Ages, which combined cutting timber or wood from trees and grazing animals around them. Cutting treesat head height (pollarding) ensured the animals didn't eat the new shoots.

The 56 hectares (139 acres) of Kenley Common have steep slopes, rich in chalk grassland flowers and topped with woodland and meadows. It surrounds three sides of Kenley Airfield, an active RAF glider school owned by the Ministry of Defence.

One of the Heritage Trail boards found around Kenley Airfield.

Kenley Airfield is the most intact Second World War fighter base still in existence. Today the land at Kenley Common that's owned and managed by the City of London Corporation includes part of the original airfield, together with some of its important heritage, lying outside the perimeter tracks.

All eight blast pens used to protect fighter aircraft from bombing are protected as Scheduled Monuments, while the whole of the original airfield is included in a Conservation Area. We have interpreted some of the wealth of information about the military history of the site o.n a Heritage Trail across Kenley Common.

Kenley Common has a variety of grassland types within a small area - calcareous, neutral and acidic, as well as pockets of ancient woodland, scrub and planted hedgerows.

The new Local Plan emphasises our management of chalk grassland, recognising its value to London's downland steep slopes awash with wild flowers every summer.

Much of this down land has been developed for housing, as this was more profitable than agriculture. The purchase of Kenley Common (along with the other Coulsdon Commons) by the City Corporation in the 1880s meant it escaped this fate. Notable species found on the site include the greater yellow rattle, white mullien, and man, bee and pyramidal orchids.

We'll continue to remove trees encroaching onto grassland where appropriate, following up with conservation grazing by sheep and cattle. This will produce patches of grassland of assorted heights, supporting a diverse range of breeding bird and insect species. Bee orchid.

Chalk downland is another ancient landscape that owes its appearance to a combination of the underlying geology and human influence over time. Prehistoric man cleared tree cover and cultivated the land until the thin, nutrient-poor soils were exhausted.

For thousands of years since then, the land has been grazed by livestock, helping to increase the grassland diversity. Today, chalk grassland is widely recognised under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan as an important habitat, supporting many nationally rare species.

Saturday 9th April, 10am to 2pm. Old faces of New Hill.

Join Steve Bruce for a tour of the veteran trees around New Hill.
Meet at Farthing Downs car park.
Please book your place - ring 01372 279083.

Good Friday 22nd April, 8am to 9.30am. Catch a worm on Farthing Downs.

That's what early birds do so bring your bins and look and listen with Andrew. This slow walk is suitable for those new to bird watching. Please leave your dog at home. Booking essential and for details of the meeting point - ring 01372 279083.

Saturday 23rd April, 10am to 11.30am. Spring on Kenley Common.

Bluebells in the ancient woodland, cowslips in the chalk downland and bursts of song all around. Enjoy the new season's delights with Andrew. Meet at the entrance to the Common at the end of Golf Road, Kenley. Please book your place - ring 01372 279083.

Easter Sunday 24th April, 10am to 12 noon. Nature hunt on Coulsdon Common.

Follow the clues to ultimately find your surprise. Ideally suited for families. Booking essential and for details of meeting point - ring 01372 279083.

Sunday 8th May, 10am to 3pm. Ramble around two Commons.

Join David for a faster paced walk taking in Coulsdon Common, Farthing Downs and New Hill.
Allow 3 hours and bring your own refreshments. Meet at Merlewood Estate Office. Please book your place - ring 01372 279083.

Saturday 4th June, 10am to 11.30am. In the pink on Kenley Common.

Sainfoin's flowers bring a warm tint to chalk grassland that's gradually building towards its peak. Join Andrew to see what's out in early summer. Meet at the steps on Hilltop Road, Whyteleafe.
Please book your place - ring 01372 279083.

Saturday 2nd July. Old Coulsdon Village Fair at Grange Park.

See local press for details.

Sunday 10th July, 11 am to 5pm. Kenley Common Fun Day.

Activities and displays for all the family. See local press for details.
Friday 15th July, 10pm to 10.45pm. Glow worms on Farthing Downs.
Search for glow worms as darkness falls. Meet Andrew and bring a torch. Booking essential - ring for details 01372 279083.

Sunday 17th July, 2pm to 3.30pm. Butterflies and moths on Farthing Downs.

Discover the variety of butterflies found here in the guiding hands of our expert volunteer, Gill. She'll also show you what was attracted to her moth trap here the previous night. Booking essential and for details of the meeting point - ring 01372 279083.

Sunday 31 st July, 10am to 11.30am. Coulsdon Common's past.

Join David for a medium paced walk around the Common looking at the events and features that have shaped this rural landscape.
Meet at the Fox Pub, Fox Lane, Coulsdon. Please book your place - ring 01372279083.

Saturday 6th August, 10am to 1 pm. Walk with a guide from the past.

Follow in the footsteps of Walker Miles using his 100 year old guide. START at Coulsdon South station and walk over Farthing Downs, New Hill and Kenley Common, and FINISH at Whyteleafe station.
For details and to book your place. ring 01372 279083.

Thursday 18th August, 1 pm to 3pm. "The hardest day" at Kenley Common.

On this day, 71 years ago, Kenley was one of the fighter airfields attacked during the Battle of Britain. Hear about the airfield's history from Andrew. Booking essential and for details of the meeting point - ring 01372 279083.

Sunday 4th September, 12 noon to 4.30pm. Farthing Downs

Family Fun Day.
Bring a picnic and enjoy free rides and activities, music, children's games, falconry demonstrations, rope bridge, refreshments, tombola, fun run and stalls. Organised by the Friends of Farthing Downs. Very limited parking - so please walk if you can. See local press for details.

Saturday 17th September, 2.30pm to 4pm. Bushes that walk on Farthing Downs.

There aren't any triffids here so how do bushes spread? Take a stroll to see the variety of colourful berries found here and hear about the part birds play with them. Meet Andrew at the car park.
Please book your place - ring 01372 279083.

Saturday 24th September, 10.30am to 12 noon. Wildlife Boxes.

Make bat boxes and bird feeders on Coulsdon Common. Booking essential - ring for details 01372 279083.