Surrey

Bookham Common butterfly walk

This walk takes you through one of the best woods in England for sighting the elusive purple emperor butterfly. Purple emperors are Britain's second largest butterfly, with a wingspan of over 8cm. It was first recorded here on 11 June 2017, at the earliest point in more than 120 years, following balmy temperatures in the spring. The species now thrives here thanks to decades of work by National Trust rangers to protect the specialist habitats it needs.

Near to

Bookham Commons

Start point

Tunnel Car Park, grid ref: TQ130557

Trail information

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Difficulty*

Accessibility**

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 1.5 (km: 2.4)

Duration 30 mins

Dog friendly***

*A short walk with some moderate slopes. For further details, please see Terrain section.
**Unmade paths; can be muddy in wet weather. For further details, please see section marked Access.
***Dogs welcome. For further details, please see section marked Facilities.

Spot a variety of butterflies and many birds in the woodland

The purple emperor season begins in late June and peaks in the second week of July. From noon to early evening, the males can be seen at the Mark Oak and Hill Farm 'master trees'. By August the butterflies are mostly gone.

Address
Bookham, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT23 3ES
Directions via Google Maps
By train
Bookham train station is a short walk from the trail's start.
By bus
479 from Epsom, Guildford and Leatherhead to Bookham train station.
Cycling
Surrey National Cycle Network Route 3.
By road
Exit M25 at junction 9, then A243, A24 and A246. After 2 miles (3.2km), turn right onto High Street then left onto Church Road. Various car parks, including near Bookham Station.
Total stages: 7
Total stages: 7
Start point
Tunnel Car Park, grid ref: TQ130557
Stage 1
Leave the car park and take the left-hand path, heading north-west.
Stage 2
Follow the main path (Common Road) past some houses on the left.
Stage 3
Turn right take the right-hand path that leads past the lakes.
Stage 4
Turn left before the wood edge and go up Broadway. This leads to the Mark Oak 'master tree' on the left, just before the ride junction at the top. Purple emperors fly around the tall turkey oaks here but can be difficult to spot.
Master trees
In the 1970s, two purple emperor 'master tree' situations were discovered at Bookham Commons. These are special groves, usually oaks and the tallest trees in a wood where males fight to protect their territory, and where females come to mate. The males frequently chase off wood pigeons that invade their patch. You should see at least one or two purple emperors in an hour. In the morning, you may see them on the ground from as early as 9am.
Stage 5
Turn left and westwards to follow High Point Path.
Stage 6
Continue to Hill Farm and pause the second 'master tree' (a hornbeam), located on the north side of the path, just south of the farm. When you're ready, continue down the path until you come to a small car park. Go through it and turn left down a path joining the road at an angle.
Stage 7
Continue straight until you come to the houses that you passed at Step 2. Retrace your path to the car park and station.
End point
Near Bookham station, grid ref: TQ130565
Trail map
Bookham Common butterfly walk, Surrey | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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