Commons Update Spring 2023
There’s been a lot going on these last few months and so this is a bumper issue of the Commons update! If you’d like to jump straight to a particular story, just click on the link below
Queensmere Swans and Ted the Patrol Horse
Woodland Work on Wimbledon Common - Holly Thinning, Lower Gravelly Ride
Woodland Work on Putney Heath – Ring Barking and Knopper Galls
Woodland Work on Putney Lower Common
Events - Dates for your diary including special Coronation events!
Obituary, Sir Robert Andrew, past Conservator
Queensmere Swans
We start this update with some sad news for the many of you that have been following the lives of our Queensmere swans for many years. Sadly, the pen swan on Queensmere passed away on 19 February.
The cause of death is not clear but she had no injuries so we do know it wasn't as a result of an attack. She was an elderly swan and it is possible that this was as a result of natural causes through old age. Avian flu cannot be ruled out but as far as we are aware there were no obvious signs that she was ill.
The Swan Sanctuary are aware and we were monitoring the remaining cob for any signs of distress however, he seems to have left the Mere and over the last week or so, a young swan has taken up residence. We’re not sure where the youngster is from but its plumage indicates it was hatched last year.
UPDATE - The Swan Sanctuary has taken away the young swan as they were concerned for his safety - he appears to be blind in one eye - as the home cob has returned.
Ted the Patrol Horse
Sadly, at the beginning of December 2022, we had to say goodbye to Ted, one of our patrol horses. He had been diagnosed with sidebone, an arthritic condition of the feet, which caused him to suffer repeated bouts of prolonged lameness. Following consultation with the vet, we took the difficult decision to have him euthanised. At present we are running with three horses. The Conservators have agreed to fund a new horse in the next financial year. In late March we will start the hunt for a replacement for Ted.
Conservation Work
Woodland Work – Wimbledon Common
From the beginning of November 2022 until the end of January 2023, a small team of woodland contractors were involved with holly thinning on the Commons. This work covered 6 hectares of woodland starting close to Lower Gravelly Ride and finishing along the edge of Queensmere Fairway. As holly is a native species which provides nesting opportunities for birds and a valuable source of nectar for a wide range of invertebrates, wherever holly thinning has been carried out, approximately 10% of the existing holly coverage in each hectare of ground has been retained.
This year’s programme of work has achieved several objectives:
- It has provided a more open woodland which is of benefit to the regeneration of trees and associated woodland flora. In addition to the removal of holly, several small woodland glades have also been created as part of this work.
- It has helped with the overall improvement of the Stag Bog valley mire system which had become extremely shaded by dense tree cover.
- It has enhanced the health and safety of visitors to the Commons by improving sightlines along the edge of two areas of the Wimbledon Common Golf Course. These areas are the Queensmere and Paradise fairways.
Traditionally, a path or track becomes a “ride” at the point when it is wide enough for there to be a gap in the canopy above the ride which allows sunlight to reach the ground. On the Commons there are numerous paths and rides and beginning with Upper Gravelly Ride last year and Lower Gravelly Ride this year, our teams are working on the sections in the woodland immediately below the Sandy Ring.
With a greater number of species inhabiting the first 10 metres of any woodland or ride edge than inhabit the remainder of the woodland, sensitive management of these areas is an important way of improving the biodiversity of the woodland. As a result, small to medium sized trees along the edge of these two rides are being coppiced to encourage more sunlight and consequently warmth to reach the woodland floor.
This work will also help to improve the herb layer along the edge of the rides which will promote an improved environment for a wide range of animals and pollinators.
Native trees that have matured have been left untouched as the removal of these important natural habitats can rarely be justified.
Similar to last year’s woodland operation on Upper Gravelly Ride, as much dead wood as possible has been left on site to provide additional habitats. Where suitable, small ephemeral pools will also be excavated along the edge of the ride and additional logs will be used to create habitat piles and stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) loggeries around other areas of the Commons.
The transformation of Upper Gravelly Ride in 2022 (below) shows the benefits that this work will achieve, creating a path with more light and ground cover which will be of much more benefit to our wildlife:
Woodland thinning on Putney Heath - Ring Barking and Knopper Galls
A healthy woodland should contain the full range of structures in balance which would provide a ground layer, field layer, shrub layer and canopy. By providing openings within the woodland canopy and therefore allowing light to penetrate to the woodland floor, the provision of open space provides the opportunity for the growth of nectar bearing shrubs and flowering plants which are so vital for the development of invertebrate variety and biomass.
As much of the Commons’ woodland has developed through a process of natural succession, the result has been the establishment of large areas of even-aged trees that are tightly spaced together, and which therefore prevent the growth of new trees and the creation of a well-developed woodland structure. In order to create a more diverse age structure within the Commons woodland, there is a need for tree thinning to be carried out in the more heavily shaded areas from time to time.
One way to achieve this is through the reduction of the invasive non-native trees species. These include Turkey oak (Quercus cerris), sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), Holm oak (Quercus ilex) and rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum).
Turkey oak is a hardy, fast growing species of oak that was first introduced to the British Isles in 1735. Since then, it has aggressively colonized many parts of the countryside leading to the displacement of native flora.
It is far less valuable to British wildlife than our native English oak (Quercus robur) and it is often considered to be a pest because:
- it is so fast growing
- it will hybridise with the English oak
- it is host to the knopper gall wasp (Andricus quercuscalicis)
The knopper gall wasp is a recent introduction to the British Isles, first arriving in the 1960s and now found throughout England, Wales and Scotland.
As part of its life-cycle, the knopper gall wasp migrates from its host tree, the Turkey oak, to English oak, where it lays eggs on the buds of the developing acorns leading to the formation of a sticky formation (gall) which can damage the acorns of the English oak and impact on its ability to reproduce successfully. According to Imperial College London, knopper galls can destroy about 50% of the annual acorn crop but in some years, up to 100% of the crop can be lost to these wasps.
Ring Barking
To help manage areas of the Commons which have suffered from the colonisation of a high number of Turkey oak, the Commons’ Maintenance Team have carried out “ring barking”, rather than felling, on selected trees in the woodland behind Curling Pond and the woodland adjacent to the top of Jerry’s Hill.
Ring barking, which may sometimes be referred to as “girdling”, is the removal of a complete band of bark from around a trunk or branch of a tree. It is a traditional method that has been used for centuries as a means of clearing woodland and is often actively encouraged by wildlife conservationists.
Rather than our team going in and felling trees, potentially leaving a scarred area of woodland, this method creates a reservoir of dead standing trees which will disintegrate over time. It is a natural process similar to a tree dying slowly of disease and it creates a rich and diverse habitat for a wide range of insects and fungi, as well as woodpeckers and other woodland birds. In particular, dead wood is invaluable for the increasingly rare stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) – the presence of Stag beetles on the Commons is a primary reason for our designation as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
If you have any further queries, please contact the Ranger's Office
Woodland work on Putney Lower Common
Towards the end of 2022, another slightly smaller piece of woodland work was carried out on Putney Lower Common. This project combined the thinning of a small area of woodland that had become heavily shaded by a dense canopy of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) trees, and the scarifying and protection of the ground by erecting a temporary enclosure of chestnut paling. It is anticipated that over the course of 2023, we will see this popular area of the Commons become established as a healthy woodland glade from what was previously a very poor area of woodland.
Heathland Restoration
Heathland restoration forms an ongoing part of the Commons’ programme of habitat management. Over the past few months, volunteer scrub bashing sessions have continued on Putney Heath where various groups have focused on the area of heathland that is adjacent to Jubilee Path and on two areas of heathland that are close to Roehamtpon Ride and Ladies Mile. Those who walk in that area regularly will have seen the transformation for yourselves.
Tree safety works
Friars Avenue
Tree safety work is one of the most important ongoing tasks that is carried out by the Commons Maintenance Team. In such a large and busy open space as the Commons, the risks associated with failing trees needs to be addressed as soon as possible although certain well used areas will be considered of higher importance than others.
While much of the tree safety work that is carried out on the Commons aims to prolong the health and lifespan of trees, unfortunately, it is not always possible to retain trees that have succumbed to disease or reached a very old age. Where a dangerous tree presents a risk to human life, if there is no way of removing the risk or separating it from potential human contact, unfortunately retaining the tree on site is not an option.
This is exactly the reason why the recent tree work was carried out along Friar’s Avenue, resulting in the felling of a number of heavily pollarded Lombardy poplars (Populus nigra ‘italica’) along the boundary of the Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields and the heavily used Friar’s Avenue.
Lombardy poplars are notorious for internal basal decay and having tried to prolong the lifespan of the poplars back in 2019 through another programme of tree safety work, unfortunately by 2023 there was nothing further that could be done for these trees apart from to make them safe and leave them on site as fallen dead wood habitats. With cars permanently parked along the whole length of Friar’s Avenue and sports taking place during much of the week and weekend, the only option for maintaining public safety in this area of the Commons was to fell all the failing poplars.
Other tree safety work has included:
- Work to boundary trees around various parts of the REMPF including the REMPF car park.
- Tree inspections and safety work around all known forest school sites on the Commons.
- Felling work to some of the mature horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) trees which had become diseased and dangerous and were located around the Southern Pound on Wimbledon Common.
- The removal of a diseased lime (Tilia platyphyllos) tree that was located close to the edge of Westside Common.
- Dead wooding and tree safety work to trees and branches that were overhanging some of the Commons’ main footpaths, tracks and horse rides, including the paths that lead from Putney Vale Cemetery along Stag Ride, Roehampton Ride, Inner Park Ride and the whole length of Parkside.
- Safety work carried out around the “Figure of 8” adjacent to the Alton Estate, along the busy bus route of the Alton Slip Road, in the area of woodland at the end of Norstead Place and in the woodland outside Ross Court.
Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields
Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens
With the start of the annual Rosslyn Park Rugby Sevens Tournament on 20 March, it’s all systems go for the team at the REMPF, with both members of the team fully committed to preparing the ground for this tournament, with help from the Maintenance Team.
The tournament is the world’s largest school’s rugby sevens tournament in the world. In a period of five days there are over 1700 matches played. Schools that take part in the event come from far and wide, with both national and international teams taking part. During the tournament there are between 5,000 and 6,000 visitors expected per day.
This event uses all the pitches on both the Main Field and the Extension Fields and involves converting all football pitches into rugby pitches – a transformation that happens over a period of just seven days. The event has continued to grow in size and the prestige that hosting it brings to the Commons is immense. In recent years, viewing of the event has also been available via live streaming which adds to the experience for both the players and visitors alike.
Fundraising Update
Restoring Paths to Protect Nature
In December 2022, we launched an appeal to raise funds for improving priority paths on the Commons. Our Fundraising Manager, Maggie, commented “I’m over the moon to share with you that over £13,000 has been raised since then thanks to donations from visitors. So many donations have been made anonymously on the Just Giving appeal page, so if you have made a donation and we haven’t been able to reply to you personally - THANK YOU!!”
As well as improving the visitor experience, having better paths is important for protecting and restoring the habitats which they travel through. During the COVID lockdowns the damage done to vegetation as paths widened due to increased footfall was considerable and it’s an ongoing job for our maintenance teams to patch up paths after the wetter months. 
Understandably, as giant puddles form in potholes and the muddy paths become waterlogged, users walk around them leading to the paths widening and consequently damaging the vegetation alongside. By investing in the full restoration of the Commons’ paths, we hope that more people will stick to these routes and allow nature to recover.
We are 10% towards our target of £120,000 so there’s still a long path ahead but building upon the success of the improvements to both the Inner Windmill Road and the Beverley Brook path, this year we are hoping to improve five popular and well-trodden paths on the Commons.
The paths we hope to improve this year are Windmill Road Path, Centre Path, Green Ride, Inner Park Ride and Seven Post Pond Path to Kingsmere. You can find more information about these paths on our website: www.wpcc.org.uk/support-us/appeal
Update on the Wildlife Garden:
Four years ago, the team in Rangers Office launched a fundraising appeal to create a new Wildlife Garden by the Rangers Office. We were blown away by the support and nearly £20,000 was raised! But then... Our plans were delayed. Firstly by a very wet winter that flooded the garden and then of course by the covid lockdowns, following which our staff were kept incredibly busy both managing the increasing number of visitors, and the subsequent impact these had on the Commons.
Finally the plans are coming to life with the new path being built, a pond being dug, a raised wall being built that will function as seating and a pond dipping base, and new fencing and gates.
The first cut!
However, since we first launched the appeal costs have risen and we'd like to ask whether, once again, visitors and those who love the Commons could help contribute to transform this little space.
Designed to feature different habitats that you can discover on the Commons, the new garden will provide a place to learn about wildlife and will transform the entrance to the Rangers Office and the Keepers stables.
The Garden will be dedicated to Dave Wills, a much-loved local bird expert, who sadly passed away in 2017. Dave spent hours on the Commons studying our bird life and was involved in producing our annual Commons Bird Report for over 40 years, helping to improving our understanding and knowledge of the Commons.
Once the garden has been reshaped, new trees, shrubs and wildflowers will be planted later in 2023.
To make a donation, please visit our justgiving page at the link below. We are also discussing offering the opportunity to sponsor a tree, a habitat or plant within the garden. Please get in touch with Maggie if you'd like to register your interest.
Donate to the wildlife garden: https://tinyurl.com/wpccgarden
For details of all our fundraising activities or for details on how to help support the Commons, visit our website: Fundraising for the Commons
Volunteering Update
As always, over the past few months, volunteers have continued to help protect and enhance the Commons landscape. From scrub bashing to litter picking, the Commons would certainly not be as well looked after as they are today without the thousands of hours of care and attention that our volunteers devote to looking after this very special location.
Over the past few months, just some of the important tasks that have been carried out by volunteers on the Commons have included:
Scrub bashing on the heathland: This very popular activity is carried out throughout the year with volunteers meeting on two Sunday mornings each month/ Over the past few months, volunteers have concentrated on three main areas, all of which have been located on Putney Heath.
Mid-week volunteer group: Meeting every three weeks on a Wednesday morning, this group undertake a wide range of tasks throughout the year. Over the past few months, all activities have taken place on Wimbledon Common with Bluegate Gravel Pit and the Centre Path meadow receiving some much need care and attention.
Beverley Brook Volunteer litter pickers: This volunteer group meet every three weeks on a Wednesday morning where they are involved in clearing litter from the Beverley Brook on Wimbledon Common. All the equipment needed for this activity is provided by the Commons including waders, gloves and litter picking sticks. We are the only organisation to hold regular litter picking events along this section of the Beverely Brook and a great deal of thanks is owed to all the volunteers who help us keep the Brook clear of rubbish.
Farm Bog Volunteers: Led by volunteer leader, Andrew Harding, volunteers from the London Wildlife Trust are involved in helping to protect this important area of the Commons. Keeping the site clear of bramble, bracken, reeds and birch saplings, over the next few months volunteers will continue the good fight to ensure the ongoing protection of this special area of the Commons.
Duke of Edinburgh Award: Most of the volunteers who are involved with the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme on the Commons help by carrying out regular litter picks. Visiting the Commons during weekends and school holidays, this group of volunteers provide a huge amount of help in keeping the Commons clear of litter. Having been involved with helping the Duke of Edinburgh Award programme for quite a few years, at the current time, there have been 190 young people who have helped on the Commons as part of the DofE Award programme.
Wildlife Recorders: The Commons are very fortunate in having a number of local wildlife experts who are involved in wildlife recording on the Commons. Throughout the year, this group of individuals help to lead walks and talks on the Commons and generally help to increase our knowledge of the wildlife that can be found on this site. With Spring on the way, we’re looking forward to some really great reports being made by this group of volunteers.
EVENTS
We have several events coming up over the next few months and full details are, or will be, in the Events section of our website our website:
Easter Egg Hunt
Good Friday - 7 April - for one day only!
Starting at the Ranger's Office, follow the trails and hunt the Commons for the hidden Easter Eggs, collect all the letters and find the secret words to claim a prize!
No need to book - no fixed start times.
Collect your entry form from the Information Centre at the Ranger's Office - entry fee £2.00
More information on our website here: Easter Egg Hunt
Easter Colouring Competition
There will also be a free to enter Easter-themed colouring competition taking place in the Information Centre all weekend - with Easter Egg prizes for each age category: up to 8 years of age; 9 to 16 years of age; and this year a "Grown up" category too!
22pm/23am April – Bird Song Course – the ever popular Bird Song Course run by local resident and bird expert, Les Evans-Hill. Fully face to face this year so places are limited to 12. £20 per person. You can book you place here: Eventbrite – Birdsong Course
Sunday 7 May and Monday 8 May – EVENTS TO CELEBRATE THE CORONATION!
Hold the dates in your diary! More details will be circulated but we are planning two events to mark the coronation of King Charles III.
On the evening of Sunday 7 May we will join in the “Lighting up the Nation” with our now traditional walks from the Village and Roehampton, to meet at the Windmill for a celebration with music and light.
This event is free of charge but donations would be gratefully received, suggested donation £10 per person.
On the afternoon of Monday 8 May, we will be taking part in the “Big Help Out” Day, where we will be organising a litter pick across the Commons, perhaps with a Womble along to help! The aim is to encourage volunteering and we will be showcasing our volunteering opportunities, as well as asking other local volunteer-led organisations to join us to talk to visitors about what they do and what opportunities they have for volunteering. If you work or volunteer for such an organisation and would like to join us, please do contact Angela or Julia at events@wpcc.org.uk
Sunday 14 May 8am – Bird Song Walk – Join Walk leaders Adrian Podmore and Les Evans-Hill for a bird song walk around the Commons. Places limited to 25 so book your place here: Eventbrite Bird Song Walk. Refreshments are provided before and after the walk.
This event is free of charge but donations would be gratefully received, suggested donation £5 per person.
Future dates to look out for:
- 17/17/18 June – Weekend of Nature
- 28 June – Conservators Annual Open Meeting, Community Church, Werter Road, Putney
- 5 July (TBC) Summer Evening Walk with staff
- Sunday 10 September – Wimbledon Common Open Day – if you are interested in having a stall at the Open Day, please contact Angela or Julia at events@wpcc.org.uk
All events are listed on our website: WPCC Events
OBITUARY
Sir Robert Andrew KCB MA FRSA
The Conservators and staff of Wimbledon and Putney Commons were saddened to learn of the death of past-Conservator, Sir Robert Andrew KCB MA FRSA, on 31 December 2023.
Sir Robert was one of the longest serving Conservators, being first appointed by the Secretary of State for Defence in 1973. He was reappointed every three years until he stood down in 2009 after 36 years of outstanding service to the Commons.
The Commons were a big part of his life, beginning as a school boy at King’s in the days after the outbreak of WWII, he was also a cross-country runner and despite plenty of practice around the Common, when he went up to Oxford apparently he found he could never beat a chap called Bannister! Sir Robert returned to Wimbledon and the Commons following his marriage in 1963 and, living on Camp View, brought up his family with the Commons as their front garden.
Sir Robert had a distinguished career in the Civil Service, rising to Private Secretary at the Ministry of Defence from 1971-73 before eventually becoming the Permanent Under-Secretary of Northern Ireland.
Sir Robert enjoyed a lifelong association with King’s College School to which he returned as the Chairman of Governors in the 1990s. A tribute by the then Headmaster recalled him as “wise, courteous, compassionate, astute, cautious, without ever being negative; and always loyal to the school’s values and purposes”. Qualities which all those who had the privilege to work with him would recognise.
David Devons, who was Chairman of the Conservators during the later years of Sir Robert’s tenure, commented “Sir Robert’s extensive administrative skills were invaluable to the Board as was his knowledge of the workings of the civil service, particularly when it was necessary to negotiate with government departments. At Board meetings his gentle yet incisive common sense guided the Conservators out of the quagmire of indecision on many occasions. During heated discussions he would listen quietly and then add: “If I may suggest…” followed by an admirable solution leading the rest of the Board to wonder why they had not thought of it!”
Sir Ian Andrews, who succeeded Sir Robert as the Ministry of Defence appointed Conservator, added “I had belonged to the same Ministry of Defence department as Sir Robert and I was very much aware of the respect and affection in which he was held by those who had worked with him. He was always the perfect gentleman and will be greatly missed.”
Current Chairman, Diane Neil Mills, said “Although I didn’t have the privilege of serving alongside Sir Robert, his great contribution to the Commons is very much evident in minutes of meetings; his name is still mentioned in discussions, always with great reverence and respect. It was an enormous honour to have him attend the Conservators’ Service Recognition dinner this past October and there was no person more perfect to make the toast to the new King Charles III than Sir Robert.“
Our thoughts are very much with his family at this sad time.