Heathland Restoration 2025/26 -Re-creating Open Habitats

Historically, heathlands were open landscapes with few trees and traditional uses of the land, such as gorse coppicing, grazing and birch cutting prevented trees and scrub from dominating the landscape. In the absence of these activities, tree removal and scrub   control work is necessary,   carried out by staff, contractor and volunteers alike, all working to preserve the open character of this important heathland site.
Bonfires are often used across our sites to dispose of unwanted vegetation as a result of this careful habitat management. Most scrub clearance can only take place during the winter months, usually between 1^st October – 28^th February each year meaning weather conditions are not always optimum and staff, volunteers and contractors have a noticeably short window of time to carry out these vital works. 

We appreciate that these works can sometimes seem quite destructive and can initially be    visually unappealing, however, after a relatively short period of time and with some targeted  follow-up management the open heathland habitats begin to flourish and species typically   associated with them start to utilise the additional habitat available to them. It is hoped that within 3-5 years heathland habitats within this area will have re-established and in fact have  begun to  flourish.

These works are important for several reasons:
 1. Lowland heathland – the type of habitat found on Yateley Common – is highly threatened, with at least 80% of lowland heathland being lost over the last 200 years.

2. To restore and preserve the open character of the landscape, which is of   value to many users of the Common.

3. Many special plants, birds, insects and reptiles rely on the heathland habitats found on the Common, the species and habitat for which the site is protected and designated under UK and EU law.

 If you have any queries about these works or our sites in general, then please call the Rangers on 01252 870425 or e-mail us at northern.sites@hants.gov.uk.
 

 

Calling all budding young artists!

Help us promote wildfire awareness and get your drawing displayed across our local heathlands
 

With an increasing number of wildfires across the UK countryside we would like to update our fire signage across Yateley Common and we are looking for a local budding young artist to design an eye-catching image to help educate everyone about the dangers of wildfires.

You can find out more about wildfires and what can be done to help prevent them at: https://www.hantsfire.gov.uk/hot-and-dry-conditions-increase-risk-of-wildfires/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKBmvxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETBOcExFRjA5dzYybjhJWGJUAR6hXXstvPh-vnjtRtHc5TSgfnWfHPPWrCGSTeEniy4xX65DNpc0vYqqELCRPA_aem_V9Jke7hQ03SRh-MM9KMwnw
 

This is what the existing poster which we are looking to update looks like:

We would like a local budding young artist to design an picture that is eye-catching and highlights the dangers of wildfires. We will add any additional information needed to the final poster.

The winning entry will also receive a Bird box,  bug hotel and FSC bug ID guide  all kindly donated by The Yateley Society.
 

Deadlines for entries: Monday 2nd June
 

To Enter please share photos of your picture on our Facebook page: @Countryside—North Sites –Hampshire County Council Or email Northern.sites@hants.gov.uk

Please keep your original art work as we will require the original drawing of the successful image.

 

Heathland Restoration for 2024/25 – reconnecting and recreating important heathland habitats

Historically, heaths such as those found at Yateley Common SSSI, Castle Bottom NNR, Shortheath Common SAC and Broxhead Common SSSI were open landscapes with few trees and traditional uses of the land, such as gorse coppicing, grazing and birch cutting prevented trees and scrub from dominating the landscape. In the absence of these past activities, tree removal and scrub control work is still necessary, now carried out by HCC staff, contractors and volunteers alike, all working to preserve the open character of these important heathland sites.

The following scrub removal and mowing is taking place this autumn/winter between 1st October 2024 – 28th February 2025 in order to restore these areas to heathland, recreating and reconnecting the open character and landscape of the heaths. Works are part of an on-going heathland management programme and are approved and funded through Natural England.

The maps below show the areas on which contractors, staff and volunteers will be working over the coming winter months. Our contractors are specialists in conservation management and work within carefully considered specifications to minimise disturbance to visitors and maximise the habitat diversity for wildlife.

Yateley Common:

Castle Bottom NNR:

Shortheath Common:

Broxhead Common:

We appreciate that these works can sometimes seem quite destructive and can initially be visually unappealing, however, after a relatively short period of time and with some targeted follow-up management the open heathland habitats begin to flourish and species typically associated with them start to utilise the additional habitat available to them.

These works are important for several reasons:

1. Lowland heathland – the type of habitat found on Yateley Common, Castle Bottom NNR, Shortheath Common and Broxhead Common – is highly threatened, with at least 80% of lowland heathland being lost over the last 200 years.
2. To restore and preserve the open character of the landscape, which is of value to many users of these sites.
3. Many special plants, birds, insects and reptiles rely on the heathland habitats found on the heaths; the species and habitat for which the sites are protected and designated under UK and EU law.

Bonfires are often used across our sites to dispose of unwanted vegetation as a result of this careful habitat management. Most scrub clearance can only take place during the winter months, usually between 1^st October – 28^th February each year meaning weather conditions are not always optimum and staff, volunteers and contractors have a noticeably short window of time to carry out these vital works. Alternative methods of disposal potentially have a large carbon footprint because of the machinery needed, use of fuel and the distance that the materials need to be transported for composting or generating biomass for fuel. Staff and contractors burning vegetative material make every effort to reduce the effect on the local community and to limit the duration of the disturbance to residents.  Although we cannot prevent smoke spreading, we do make every effort to inform the local community about these works ahead of time through social media and with on-site notices. This allows local communities to take appropriate actions and use different areas for recreation during the brief time in which works are carried out. We are constantly reviewing our use of bonfires on an individual basis as to where and how we can chip and remove, which we do at some sites where this is possible.

If you have any queries about these works or our heaths in general, then please call the Rangers on 01252 870425 or e-mail us at northern.sites@hants.gov.uk.

 

Heathland Restoration for 2023 – reconnecting and recreating important heathland habitats

Historically, heaths such as those found at Yateley Common SSSI, Castle Bottom NNR, Shortheath Common SAC and Broxhead Common SSSI were open landscapes with few trees and traditional uses of the land, such as gorse coppicing, grazing and birch cutting prevented trees and scrub from dominating the landscape. In the absence of these past activities, tree removal and scrub control work is still necessary, now carried out by HCC staff, contractors and volunteers alike, all working to preserve the open character of these important heathland sites.

The following scrub removal and mowing is taking place this autumn/winter between 1st October 2023 – 29th February 2024 in order to restore these areas to heathland, recreating and reconnecting the open character and landscape of the heaths. Works are part of an on-going heathland management programme and are approved and funded through Natural England.

The maps below show the areas on which contractors, staff and volunteers will be working over the coming winter months. Our contractors are specialists in conservation management and work within carefully considered specifications to minimise disturbance to visitors and maximise the habitat diversity for wildlife.

Yateley Common:

Castle Bottom NNR:

Shortheath Common:

Broxhead Common:

We appreciate that these works can sometimes seem quite destructive and can initially be visually unappealing, however, after a relatively short period of time and with some targeted follow-up management the open heathland habitats begin to flourish and species typically associated with them start to utilise the additional habitat available to them.

These works are important for several reasons:

1. Lowland heathland – the type of habitat found on Yateley Common, Castle Bottom NNR, Shortheath Common and Broxhead Common – is highly threatened, with at least 80% of lowland heathland being lost over the last 200 years.
2. To restore and preserve the open character of the landscape, which is of value to many users of these sites.
3. Many special plants, birds, insects and reptiles rely on the heathland habitats found on the heaths; the species and habitat for which the sites are protected and designated under UK and EU law.

Bonfires are often used across our sites to dispose of unwanted vegetation as a result of this careful habitat management. Most scrub clearance can only take place during the winter months, usually between 1^st October – 28^th February each year meaning weather conditions are not always optimum and staff, volunteers and contractors have a noticeably short window of time to carry out these vital works. Alternative methods of disposal potentially have a large carbon footprint because of the machinery needed, use of fuel and the distance that the materials need to be transported for composting or generating biomass for fuel. Staff and contractors burning vegetative material make every effort to reduce the effect on the local community and to limit the duration of the disturbance to residents.  Although we cannot prevent smoke spreading, we do make every effort to inform the local community about these works ahead of time through social media and with on-site notices. This allows local communities to take appropriate actions and use different areas for recreation during the brief time in which works are carried out. We are constantly reviewing our use of bonfires on an individual basis as to where and how we can chip and remove, which we do at some sites where this is possible.

If you have any queries about these works or our heaths in general, then please call the Rangers on 01252 870425 or e-mail us at northern.sites@hants.gov.uk.

 

Public Notices – work to improve the Rights of Way network

You may have noticed several notices have been put up around Yateley Common, specifically between Cricket Hill Lane and Blackbushe Airport. In some places it may seem rather random to see a notice there, but this is not the case and there is good reason. Hampshire County Council’s Countryside Service has over the last 10 plus years been reviewing the rights of way network west of Cricket Hill Lane. A similar scheme was carried out east of Cricket Hill Lane some years ago, so this the next phase of rationalising the rights of way routes across Hampshire County Council Yateley Common.

The aim of the process is to realign the routes which exist on the ground with what appears on a map. In simple terms. the rights of ways (bridleways and footpaths for example) currently mapped do not match the routes which are used by visitors navigating the common. In legal terms, on 23 November 2022 Hampshire County Council confirmed an Order made under section 26 of the Highways Act 1980. The effect of the Order as confirmed will create three public Bridleways across Yateley Common. On the 9 March 2023 Hampshire County Council confirmed an Order made under section 119 of the Highways Act 1980. The effect of the Order as confirmed is to divert several of the public rights of way in the Parish of Yateley as described in the Schedule to the order.

In the Cobbett’s Lane area of the common, a separate schedule of works is taking place to make improvements to the the surface of two bridleways. These routes are historically very muddy and at certain times of the year almost impassable so it is hoped that the work will make good the surfaces to enable more visitors to navigate the common better throughout the year. In legal terms, Hampshire County Council has made an Order under Section 14(1)a of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, to enable a surface improvement project to take place.

If you would like to learn more about either of these schemes, please visit the Hampshire County Council website https://www.hants.gov.uk/community/publicnotices?keywords=Yateley

Once the Notices have been advertised for the required period, they will be removed and further works will take place later in the year to improve crossing points, open up any remaining routes and to install waymarker posts.

If you would like further information about any of these Orders, please contact:

Countryside Service Castle Avenue Winchester Hampshire SO23 8UL

Email: row.notices@hants.gov.uk

 

Big Spring Clean 2023 – a great success!

On Sunday 5th March, despite a rather chilly start to the day, 170 volunteers came out to help give Yateley Common a Big Spring Clean ahead of the bird nesting season.

The volunteers were individuals from the local community, a local Geocaching group and groups of Beavers, Cubs, Brownies, Scouts and Explorers who all spent up to 3 hours each litter picking.  The aim was to cover as much of Yateley Common as possible with groups starting from Blackbushe Airport, Wyndham’s Pool Car Park and Stroud Pond Car Park.  In total the volunteers collectively spent 313.5 hours removing a variety of litter and fly tipped rubbish from the site.

Amongst the items removed were an a loo seat, a metal fence spike, a large inner tube, a desk fan, 2 tyres, a Hippo bag of Hippo bags (!), some metal fencing wire, lots of dog poo bags and various pieces of metal, along with a total of 74 bags of rubbish being collected.

 

We would like to thank everyone who came out to help make this years Big Spring Clean such a great success.  It is thanks to everyone’s hard word and support that we can ensure this rubbish is removed from Yateley Common before the start of spring.

The Rangers

 

Shortheath Common Update: Boardwalk and Winter Works

I am pleased to inform the reader that the funding bid to East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) Community Infrastructure Levy for installation of a boardwalk at the pinch point at Shortheath Common was successful. This will be a joint project administered and delivered by the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) and Hampshire County Council’s Countryside Service. Successful delivery of the project will be subject to meeting conditions outlined by EHDC and by obtaining the correct permissions, brief details below. The fund administers money from the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Section 106 funding through developer offset contributions. We have been granted £28,000 which will cover the cost of materials (recycled plastic, a must for us due to the lower maintenance costs than wood) and installation as well as making some contribution to acquiring the appropriate permissions.  

We have around a year to install the boardwalk but anticipate this being an extremely complex challenge. The general process from now will be as follows;

1. Contact Thames Water to ascertain the exact route of the sewer pipe and discuss further any implication around installation.  The main sewer pipe that serves the village runs directly through the pinch point. Exactly where is impossible from above ground to determine but its route will affect the location of the boardwalk.
2. Apply for planning permission. Our partners at the South Downs National Park Authority will be doing this. They have experience requesting permissions for other projects, so it is great that we have knowledgeable hands onboard. It is likely this will take several weeks to months.
3. Apply for permission to Natural England. This may be adequately handled in the planning process as NE officers review planning applications but if not then a separate application will need to be made so officers can consider any impact to the SSSI.
4. Apply for permission to construct the boardwalk on Common land from the Secretary of State. It is not clear at this stage how challenging this aspect of the process may be, or how long the permission process takes. Only time will tell but we will be starting this concurrently with the planning application
5. Once permissions are in place and a route is agreed appoint contractors to install the boardwalk. Procurement of contractor services is familiar ground. If permissions are granted, we hope to appoint contractors to install the boardwalk in the spring.

Our team of (currently) three staff is balancing a heavy workload across all our sites in North Hampshire and we are working to fill several vacancies. This scheme has been identified as one of our key priorities and it is fortunate that this is a joint project with the SDNPA so that the workload is shared. We will provide further updates on staffing resources in due course.

As a final note please do not be concerned if here are long gaps between communications regarding the boardwalk – we are working on it but please do look out for any communication that we may send out via email, Facebook or via the King’s World magazine as we may be asking for comment or feedback in support of the boardwalk, particularly in relation to the planning process.

I hope that the community will rally round to support us through this phase of the project so we can deliver the improvements you have been asking for.

In brief, our other news in bullet point form:

• Winter works are due to start in October with scrub cutting likely to start in the mire before it gets too wet. Some areas on the heath will also be cut and large areas of the grassland will be mown. Bonfires will be used to dispose of the material as they remain the cheapest, quickest and most carbon neutral means of disposal. We conducted a study last year to consider the merits of chipping and collection for disposal by a distributor supplying wood fuel for power stations. Unfortunately, the volume required is beyond what we can produce, as is the quality of chip while further transport via diesel lorries is costly and polluting.
• Field Cricket Numbers were good again this year with 70+ adult males heard calling during the summer.
• All 3 key heathland bird species (Nightjar, Woodlark and Dartford Warbler) were observed on site with suspected breeding occurred. Reptile surveys were carried out throughout the year. Big thanks to our team of volunteer surveyors for this! 
• Some tree safety work was undertaken particularly following the storms in February and March. A large dangerous Oak was felled before the wood fairies descended and removed the wood.

If you require any further information, please telephone us on 01252 870425 or by email northern.sites@hants.gov.uk .

Steve Ord

North Sites Ranger

 

Heathland Restoration 2022 – reconnecting and recreating important habitats

Historically, heaths such as those found at Yateley Common SSSI, Castle Bottom NNR, Shortheath Common SAC and Broxhead Common SSSI were open landscapes with few trees and traditional uses of the land, such as gorse coppicing, grazing and birch cutting prevented trees and scrub from dominating the landscape. In the absence of these past activities, tree removal and scrub control work is still necessary, now carried out by HCC staff, contractors and volunteers alike, all working to preserve the open character of these important heathland sites.

The following scrub removal and mowing is taking place this winter in order to restore these areas to heathland, recreating and reconnecting the open character and landscape of the heaths. Works are part of an on-going heathland management programme and are approved and funded through Natural England.

The maps below show the areas on which contractors will be working over the coming winter months. Our contractors are specialists in conservation management and work within carefully considered specifications to minimise disturbance to visitors and maximise the habitat diversity for wildlife.

Yateley Common:

Castle Bottom NNR:

Shortheath Common:

Broxhead Common:

We appreciate that these works can sometimes seem quite destructive and can initially be visually unappealing, however, after a relatively short period of time and with some targeted follow-up management the open heathland habitats begin to flourish and species typically associated with them start to utilise the additional habitat available to them.

These works are important for several reasons:

1. Lowland heathland – the type of habitat found on Yateley Common, Castle Bottom NNR, Shortheath Common and Broxhead Common – is highly threatened, with at least 80% of lowland heathland being lost over the last 200 years.
2. To restore and preserve the open character of the landscape, which is of value to many users of these sites.
3. Many special plants, birds, insects and reptiles rely on the heathland habitats found on the heaths; the species and habitat for which the sites are protected and designated under UK and EU law.

If you have any queries about these works or our heaths in general, then please call the Rangers on 01252 870425 or e-mail us at northern.sites@hants.gov.uk.

 

A quick guide to dragonflies and damselflies on the Heath

The Heathlands are a very important habitat for dragonflies and damselflies, which can be found around the ponds and lowland wet heath areas between April and October. Each species has it’s own specific characteristics and behaviours. Here are some of the main species you may spot.

Dragonflies

• 

  Black-tailed skimmer (female)

• 

  Golden-ringed Dragonfly

• 

  Keeled skimmer (male)

• 

  Emperor dragonfly

• 

  Southern Hawker (male)

• 

  Broad-bodied Chaser (female)

• 

  Common Darter (male)

• 

  Common Darter (female)

Damselflies

• 

  Common Blue Damselfly (male)

• 

  Azure Blue Damselfly (male)

• 

  Blue-tailed Damselfly

• 

  Large Red damselfly (male)

• 

  Large Red damselfly (female)

 

Snakes on the heath

Adders and Grass snakes are important species within the heathland habitat, during the warmer months they can often be found basking in sunny patches close to vegetation, they are extremely shy and will quickly disappear into the vegetation if disturbed. Please stick to the main paths and keep dogs out of the vegetation in order to avoid disturbance.

Both Adders and Grass snake are surveyed by HIWARG in order to monitor population numbers and to help with conservation management planning on our heathland sites. If you would like to find out more about the important work done by HIWARG visit: Hampshire And Isle of Wight Amphibian and Reptile Group (HIWARG) (arguk.org)