Get involved: conservation volunteers needed for local countryside sites, including openings with the Claygate group

We love hearing from our conservation volunteers who spend many hours helping us care for our cherished countryside sites in the borough. They are doing an excellent job and are essential in keeping these places accessible and enjoyable for everyone. 

Here's an update below from the Claygate group. They formed their own team a few years ago to look after Claygate Common with the help of our countryside team. Thanks to their hard work, Claygate Common looks better than ever. 

The group is always looking for new members. If you care about the environment and your community, they would love to have you join them and learn from our countryside rangers. 

While the Claygate volunteers need new members for autumn 2025, there are many chances to volunteer at our countryside sites all year round. Email the countryside team or visit our countryside web pages for information on our weekly and monthly sessions, and our volunteer coordinator will send you a registration form.

In the meantime, read the Claygate volunteers’ report to see if this is something you'd like to get involved in! 

Claygate Common update – autumn/winter 2024/2025 

Written by the Claygate conservation volunteers 

Until the late 19th century Claygate Common was an open grazed common, bounded to the west by Fee Farm and to the northeast by Rucksley Farm.  

Subsequently it hosted the nine-hole Claygate Golf Club since when it has been home to the local cricket and football clubs until they moved to the recreation ground. The common we see today covers 14 hectares and has a wonderful variety of trees, wildflowers, and wildlife but to maintain and improve this special place it needs to be actively managed. 

During the autumn and winter, volunteers have been carrying out small woodland management works under the supervision of the Elmbridge countryside team to improve the habitat and biodiversity.  

Regular visitors will have seen how, over the years, the footpaths through the common had become dark and overgrown as the holly, sycamore and yew began to monopolise. Although native species, their spread needs to be managed. Selective thinning has been undertaken to widen the footpath margins and let more light in which will help restore ground flora such as woodland anemone, bluebells and celandine which in turn support important insect life. Non-native species such as rhododendron and laurel are removed altogether as, if left, these species will dominate the woodland at the expense of the native flora and diversity. 

The cuttings or “brash” as it is known, has been stacked into brash piles which will create habitats for nesting birds, small mammals such as hedgehogs, and invertebrates including solitary bees.  

The works will come to an end in March to give the wildlife some peace and quiet during the nesting season. We will resume work in September 2025 and if you would like to join us in maintaining this very special habitat, then please register on the Elmbridge website and the countryside team will keep you updated as to the dates of next season’s sessions. 

In the meantime, thanks to all of you who have volunteered so far, and we look forward to seeing new faces in the autumn but in the meantime enjoy the common!