Weybridge Heath
Encyclopedia
Weybridge Heath is a part of Weybridge
common
.
The Heath comprises 47 acres (190,200 square metres) of lowland heathland
that runs from the deep cutting of the South Western Main Line
railway eastwards to Cobbetts Hill. To the west of the railway line, much of the original heathland is now occupied by Heathside School
and Brooklands College
.
During the 1970s and 1980s the heathland fell into a poor state of repair because the surrounding brush was ill-maintained and coppicing
, which is essential for the maintenance of small heaths, had ceased. Gradually, the area became more and more overgrown with newly grown brush composed of the saplings of deciduous trees, and became to resemble more of a young wood.
Because the area used to contain many species of ant
s, rare birds and insectivorous plants, Surrey County Council embarked in 1989 upon a project to renew the heathland and encourage the return of the area to its original habitat type. The project consisted of the removal of a large number of taller trees from a central portion of the site, and the clearing of brush from this area. The council hoped that the area would be returned to something approaching its former glory within a decade.
Evidence of the re-growth of heathland is not great as of 2003, and some local residents are sceptical about the apparent defacement of the area, dubbing the cleared area "the bomb site".
It was on the original heath in this location that British
myrmecologist Horace Donisthorpe
collected many of the ants from which he produced so many observations and deductions.
Weybridge
Weybridge is a town in the Elmbridge district of Surrey in South East England. It is bounded to the north by the River Thames at the mouth of the River Wey, from which it gets its name...
common
Common land
Common land is land owned collectively or by one person, but over which other people have certain traditional rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect firewood, or to cut turf for fuel...
.
The Heath comprises 47 acres (190,200 square metres) of lowland heathland
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
that runs from the deep cutting of the South Western Main Line
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
railway eastwards to Cobbetts Hill. To the west of the railway line, much of the original heathland is now occupied by Heathside School
Heathside School
Heathside School is a comprehensive Technology College for students aged 11–18 situated in Brooklands Lane, Weybridge, Surrey. The current principal is Anne Cullum and the current vice principals are Mrs K Targett and Dr N Price. The school is well established as a Foundation Community...
and Brooklands College
Brooklands College
Brooklands College is a further education college in Weybridge and Ashford. In August 2007, Brooklands merged with Spelthorne College in Ashford. The Weybridge campus is set in the grounds of Hugh F. Lock-King's historic mansion at Brooklands. The Ashford campus is located on Ashford's high...
.
During the 1970s and 1980s the heathland fell into a poor state of repair because the surrounding brush was ill-maintained and coppicing
Coppicing
Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which takes advantage of the fact that many trees make new growth from the stump or roots if cut down. In a coppiced wood, young tree stems are repeatedly cut down to near ground level...
, which is essential for the maintenance of small heaths, had ceased. Gradually, the area became more and more overgrown with newly grown brush composed of the saplings of deciduous trees, and became to resemble more of a young wood.
Because the area used to contain many species of ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, rare birds and insectivorous plants, Surrey County Council embarked in 1989 upon a project to renew the heathland and encourage the return of the area to its original habitat type. The project consisted of the removal of a large number of taller trees from a central portion of the site, and the clearing of brush from this area. The council hoped that the area would be returned to something approaching its former glory within a decade.
Evidence of the re-growth of heathland is not great as of 2003, and some local residents are sceptical about the apparent defacement of the area, dubbing the cleared area "the bomb site".
It was on the original heath in this location that British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
myrmecologist Horace Donisthorpe
Horace Donisthorpe
Horace St. John Kelly Donisthorpe was an eccentric British myrmecologist and coleopterist, memorable in part for his enthusiastic championing of the renaming of the genus Lasius after him as Donisthorpea, and for his many claims of discovering new species of beetles and ants.He is often considered...
collected many of the ants from which he produced so many observations and deductions.