Purple Hairstreak © Sarah BarnesBookham Common is an area mainly of of oak woodland and scrub grassland, with a stream and nine ponds, some 400 acres (160 ha) in size. It is situated near Leatherhead in Surrey and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest owned and managed by the National Trust.
The ecological survey of Bookham Common by members of the LNHS has been running continuously for over fifty years. Bookham common is now one of the best-documented sites in the UK. Data from previous decades can be used as a baseline against which to compare current and future changes in the site's ecology.
Meetings are held on the second Saturday in each month. Members should meet at the Society's hut (OS grid ref. TQ125563) at 11:00 or between 13:00 and 14:00. View a map here.
Broad-bodied Chaser © Mick MassieThere are direct trains from London Waterloo and Clapham Junction to Bookham Station via Leatherhead. (Passengers from Balham, Sutton and some other South London stations can change at Epsom; but always check timetables and routes in advance in case of engineering works). Anyone needing to be met at the station should ring 01372 456143 the day before. Please bring lunch; tea can be made in the Society's hut.
There is car parking on the Common at grid refs. TQ121567, TQ134569, and TQ130557.
Bookham Common offers opportunities for individual or group studies. Large scale maps, aerial photographs, progress reports, identification handbooks and charts are all available in the Society's hut. OS Explorer Map no 146 is recommended. For further information please ring Steve Mellor (01372 456143).
Bookham Common Field Study Days
Spider field study day © Sarah Barnes
These popular and successful study days are designed for the beginner or someone with 'just a little knowledge', who would like to increase their knowledge and gain confidence in a particular subject area. They are informative, friendly, and fun. Teaching materials are supplied. If it rains, sessions are held in the Society's hut, which is a modern building with a large table, chairs, tea-making facilities, and plenty of space for the group to work in.
They start at 10.30 and finish at 16.00. Please bring lunch, a notebook, a pencil, and reference books. (There are some reference books at the hut).
Meet at Bookham station.