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Bookham Commons
Ancient commons, mentioned in the Domesday Book, with grassland plains, mighty oak woods and serene ponds
Church Road, Great Bookham, Surrey, Nearest postcode KT23 3LT
Opening times for 1 May 2024
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Tunnel car park: free to NT members or pay by mobile phone with Paybyphone - area code 803447 (0330 060 4037). £1.50 per per hour for first 2 hours; £4 for up to 4 hours; £6 for 5 hours and more. Mark Oak Gate: free parking Hundred Pound Bridge: free parking
Dogs
Well-controlled dogs are welcome. Please keep them on leads where livestock are grazing. Dog waste bins can be found in Tunnel Car park and at Merritts Cottage.
Parking. Access for mobility vehicles and wheelchairs to the bird hide at the upper eastern pond. Benches. All-weather surfaced bridlepaths. No toilets.
Level access/terrain
Access for mobility scooters and wheelchairs to the bird hide at teh Upper Eastern pond. The bridle paths are all-weather surfaced and mainly wide and level.
By road
Exit M25 at J9 (Leatherhead) and take A246, Leatherhead to Guildford road, to Great Bookham. In Great Bookham, head north up the High Street, over the crossroads and then up Church Road to the Commons
Parking: National Trust car park at the end of Church Road and Bookham Street.
Sat Nav: Please note that KT23 3LT is the nearest postcode. Please look for the National Trust signs as you drive up Church Road. Map and GPS info: sheet 187 TQ130557
On foot
A short walk via a track from the Tunnel car park, near Bookham station.Walk 1¼ miles north from Great Bookham up the High Street, over the crossroads, and then up Church Road to the Commons
By train
Bookham station; the Commons are right next to the station
By bus
Countryliner 478, Leatherhead-Guildford, alight Rayleigh House, Great Bookham (Monday to Friday). Countryliner 479, Epsom-Leatherhead-Guildford, alight Bookham Station (Monday to Friday with restricted service on Saturday). Ride Pegasus! AccessBus 622, Epsom-Ashtead-Great Bookham (one bus per day), alight Bookham Station. Visit Surrey County Council for further information
By bicycle
Take A246, Leatherhead to Guildford road, to Great Bookham. In Great Bookham, head north up the High Street, over the crossroads and then up Church Road to the Commons. View local cycle routes on the Sustrans website
Church Road, Great Bookham, Surrey, Nearest postcode KT23 3LT
Highlights
Ancient commons
A Site of Special Scientific Interest with ancient commons, grassland plains, oak woods and ponds. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book.
Birdwatching
Bird hide at the upper eastern pond.
Things to see and do
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Things to see and do at Bookham Commons
Tranquil ponds, woodland glades and open grassland offer places to play, picnic and spot a range of wildlife. And there are dedicated running, cycling and horse riding tracks too.
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Butterflies at Bookham Commons
Bookham Commons is home to some important and rare butterfly species such as the purple emperor, white admiral and silver-washed fritillary.
Top trails
Trail
Bookham Common butterfly walk
This walking trail takes you through one of the best woods in England for sighting the elusive purple emperor butterfly, which thrives here thanks to decades of work by National Trust rangers to protect the specialist habitats it needs.
About Bookham Commons
Bookham Commons' varied landscapes, from ancient oak woods to grassland plains and tranquil ponds, support an abundance of wildlife, which can be heard and seen throughout the seasons.
Listen out for tuneful nightingales and warblers in the spring, and in summer look for insects hovering over the ponds. If you're lucky, you may also spot the beautiful, but elusive, purple emperor butterfly.
Bookham Commons is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and since 1941 the London Natural History Society has been carrying out a survey of the wildlife, making it one of the best recorded and thoroughly studied areas in the country.
History
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History of Bookham Commons
The commons were home to Stone Age man and Saxon monks, were plundered by Henry VIII and visited by the Victorians, saw wartime action and were saved with help from local people.