Things to see and do at Selborne Common

Long grass and a gap in the trees at Selborne Common, Hampshire | © National Trust Images/Alison Marsh

Covering over 260 acres, the landscape surrounding the village of Selborne, Hampshire, is best explored on foot. Selborne Common offers plentiful opportunities to spot wildlife, and find plants and flowers, while climbing ‘the Hangar’ is rewarded with impressive views. Beyond St Mary's Church in the east lie the not-to-be-missed valley meadows and woodland of the Lythes.

Take a walk on the Common

Reconnect with nature by taking a walk on the Common, made up of mixed woodland of beech, oak, ash and hawthorn. As well as sunny glades and open grassland, there’s lots of different pockets to explore.

The fields called Coneycroft Bottom, Coneycroft and the Wadden are now managed as grassland and have become rich in flowers that provide valuable nectar for a host of insects and butterflies.

Climb ‘the Hangar’

A walk to the top of ‘the Hangar’ – the beech woodland that overlooks the village – will be rewarded with sweeping views across the village to the Lythes and beyond to the Weald and Downs of Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex.

You can climb to the top via various paths including the famous Zig Zag and Bostal paths.

Visit Sheep Down and High Wood

During the summer you may see cattle grazing on Sheep Down, an ancient wood pasture where woodland, scrub, glades and grassland form a patchwork of habitats.

Villagers’ common rights allowed them to graze livestock and to cut wood from the crowns of the trees here. High Wood was traditionally coppiced to provide fuel and wood for the village.

The flowers of Selborne Common

While visiting Selborne Common, take the time to see what plants and flowers you can spot.

A range of plants thrive here, including stinking hellebore, herb Paris and several orchids, which can be found in the woodland. Flowers on the open down and in the meadow include cowslip, clustered bellflower and knapweed.

Close-up of the bright yellow flowers of a cowslip plant, taken at Rievaulx Terrace, North Yorkshire — Cowslip flowers in bloom | © National Trust Images / Andrew Butler

Birds and butterflies

Selborne Common is home to many common woodland and scrub birds. Look up and you may be lucky enough to see red kites flying high above you.

In summer watch for the silver-washed fritillary butterfly, which has orange and red spotted wings, streaked with silver on the underside.

Visit the Lythes

The open meadows of the Lythes are rich in flowers, which also attract many butterflies. Milkmaid – another name for cuckoo flower – is a common springtime plant and a particularly good food source for the orange tip butterfly.

During the summer, the meadows are splashed bright yellow with buttercups. In the wetter places, you’ll find yellow flag iris and pink ragged robin. Devil’s-bit scabious and betony are rarer species that appear at the end of the summer.

Visiting the Common with your dog

You're welcome to bring your four-legged friend to the Common. Please help us to protect this special site by following these pointers:

Keep them close: at all times of year, please keep your dogs under close control on the Common and stick to the footpaths. From 1 March until 1 September, the law says dogs must be kept on a short lead to prevent them disturbing ground-nesting birds. Please note that cattle also graze on the Common and dogs should be kept under close control at all times.
Pick up the poo: there are no dog bins on the Common so please clear up after your dog and take the waste home with you. Dog waste can make the soil unsuitable for heathland plants and may carry a disease that could endanger the cattle that graze here.
Look out for signs: be mindful of the countryside code and keep an eye out for warning and information signs around the common during your walk. We use these to communicate important and seasonal information.
Stay on the ball: remember that not everyone loves dogs, and some people fear them. Make sure your dog doesn't run up to other people, especially children.

Bridleways

The Common has a number of bridleways crossing it. Bridleways can be used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Please remember the following:

Stick to paths - please do not roam off of the designated pathways as this can damage the Common.
Give way - cyclists must give way to walkers and horse riders.
Be considerate - this area is a home to lots of wildlife, please do not disturb wildlife and follow any signage.