Great British Spring Clean Womble Walk
22nd March 2026 from 11am - 4pm
Womble's Burrow, Ranger's Office
Underground, overground, where can they be?!
Join the new Great British Spring Clean Wombles Walk on Sunday 22nd March and help find members of the furry litter-picking family hidden around the Commons.
The Wombles Walk is a new fun family trail exploring the Commons and its landmarks, while litter picking along the way. Find all the hidden Wombles and you’ll collect a treat – and have the chance to meet one of the Wombles, in the fur!
To mark the Great British Spring Clean week, the annual mass-action campaign to pick up litter, we’ll also be launching the official Wimbledon and Putney Commons Wombles - part of The Wombles Community Charity, which champions sustainability through local environmental groups, with the help of one of the Wombles!
- Womble Walk 11am – 4pm, start/finish at the Ranger’s Office Home Burrow.
- £3 per entry – all proceeds help to care for Wimbledon and Putney Commons, the home of the Wombles!
- Collect a Womble activity sheet and follow the trail to find the Wombles markers. Each Womble reveals a letter – which spell the mystery word.
- If you want to be more Womble, borrow a litter-picking stick and bag and help keep the Commons tidy as you explore.
- Return to the Home Burrow with your completed form to collect a treat!
What else is happening at the Home Burrow?
- For Sale: second hand books and lost property found by the Wombles!
- Colouring and crafts – draw or make your own Womble.
- Friends of WPCC will be on hand to discuss how to help look after the original home of the Wombles.
More details to follow, keep visiting this page for updates.
The Wombles are synonymous with the Commons, particularly Wimbledon Common.
They are a hidden family of resourceful, furry creatures who live beneath Wimbledon Common. They collect the litter that humans or everyday folk leave behind, reusing and repurposing it into new inventions, contraptions, and creations.
They live by a simple motto: “Make good use of bad rubbish.”
The Wombles first appeared in 1968 in a series of more than 20 books written by children’s author Elisabeth Beresford - who was inspired to create the lovable creatures after a Boxing Day walk on Wimbledon Common when her daughter Kate mispronounced the name as Wombledon Common.
The stories were first read on the television show Jackanory, and then brought to life in 1973 by Ivor Wood and Barry Leith’s stop start animation and Bernard Cribbins’ unforgettable narration. The show was voted by the British public as one of the top 10 most popular BBC TV children’s programmes of all time.
The Wombles band also enjoyed Top 40 pop chart success, appearing on Top of the Pops and Eurovision Song Contest!
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Non-WPCC Events being held on the Commons
The calendar below shows events that are being helpd on the Common but are not orgnised by us. If you require more details, pelase contact the organisers. Where the visit involves a school, the information is deliberately left vague.
Holding an Event on Wimbledon and Putney Commons
As the Commons are now a popular location for events, you will need to seek permission from the Ranger's Office before organising any formal or semi-formal event on or across the Commons. This is to ensure that there is no clash of events that would spoil the enjoyment of participants, or negatively impact our visitors, other users or indeed have a negative impact on the Commons - a protected Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Whilst we are limited to the size and type of event we can host here on the Commons, we are always happy to see if we can help. Please complete the Enquiry Form and one of our team will get back to you to discuss your request.
As a charity, we do charge for events on the Commons. The charges will depend on the nature of the event. Please contact the Ranger's Office for further information.