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Whether you’re looking for free activities to entertain the kids or a chance to get out and try something new, Heath Week always has a lot on offer. Join us to discover the heaths of Surrey, Hampshire & Berkshire and share in the magic.

Heath Week 2021

Saturday 24th July to Friday 30th July. Click on a picture to start the story…

Banner for Heath Week 2021 - Saturday 24th to Friday 30th July 2021
Click here to see the Heath Week 2021 line up!
The Heathland Photography Competition address is www.blackwatervalleynaturewalks.co.uk/heathland-photography-competition
Blackwater Valley Nature Walks kicked things off with the launch of the Heathland Photography Competition: www.blackwatervalleynaturewalks.co.uk/heathland-photography-competition
Green-eyed flower bee on heather
If you’ve taken a beautiful photograph of local heathland, find the details of the photography competition at: www.blackwatervalleynaturewalks.co.uk/heathland-photography-competition. This exceptional picture was taken by our Education officer, Michael. But don’t worry, we won’t let him enter!
Photograph showing a foggy viewpoint for the start of Heath Week!
After a week of blazing hot weather, the first day of Heath Week had a rather foggy start after a night of thunder storms! Here we are on Saturday 24th July at the viewpoint at Caesar’s Camp near Farnham, waiting nervously for the Fire & Rescue Service to arrive with the fire engines. But sometimes emergencies have to take priority and on this occasion the Farnham watch were mobilised to three back to back incidents 😟
Montage of photographs of kids having fun with drones and fire vehicles!
But we all had a great time at Caesar’s Camp, despite challenging weather and fire engines that had to go off to emergencies!
Photograph of two young boys dressed as fire fighters!
And found some brilliant new recruits to the #BeWildfireAware campaign!

Montage of photographs including the children enjoying the fire engines
There were some very happy children at Barossa on Sunday! A huge thank you to Camberley Fire Station, who brought along the fire engine and explained everything to their eager audience!
Photograph of dog owners waiting to speak with Natalie Light. With inset picture of Nat, Nicky & Jo.
And there was a great turnout to speak to brilliant dog trainer and behaviourist, Natalie Light, at Wyndham’s Pool, Yateley Country Park. More about Heathland Hounds here.
'Good dog guide' graphics. Please go to 'Good dog guide' on the main menu for an accessible version.
One of the best things we can all do, especially if we’re dog owners, is stick to main paths during the bird-nesting season. The ‘Good dog guide’ will keep us on the right…ahem…track!
Montage of some of the Heathland Hounds enjoying some advice from Natalie.
The event on Sunday was the perfect place to get some useful advice and hone your skills, with Natalie on hand to help.
A family enjoying the scavenger hunt at Lightwater!
Also on Sunday, Warden Zoe ran her first sensory scavenger hunt at Lightwater Country Park! What a brilliant way to get families outside and children engaged with nature!
Photograph of Warden Andi pointing out a butterfly yo two attentive children
Here’s Warden Andi on the scavenger hunt pointing out butterflies.

Photo of a girl pinning on a badge
And this little girl was very pleased with her “Heath Week Hero” badge 😊
Warden Zoe getting a couple of attentive children started on the scavenger hunt
On Tuesday Warden Zoe got off to a great start with a 2nd date for her sensory scavenger hunt at Whitmoor Common…
Wardens in the rain!
…but then it all went horribly wrong! Months of planning washed away in torrential rain! Hey ho!
Photograph of Michael explaining about nightjars
Education Officer Michael ran two popular nightjar walks at Horsell Common on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at dusk to see the incredible birds that migrate from Africa to nest here. (picture kindly tweeted by Sarah Dudley).
Montage of photographs of the event
Wednesday morning’s weather was better for Warden Val at the official opening of the Yateley Common Nature Trail. It wasn’t long before the havens opened again though!
Photograph of Warden Val and Project Manager Ruth having a good look at the reptiles
The team kicked off Thursday with a ‘Forestry Finds’ event at Bramshill Forest. Pete from HIWARG (Hampshire & Isle of Wight Amphibian & Reptile Group) was there to show us some of the species you might be lucky enough to spot in the wild.

Montage of photographs of people having fun with the fire fighting equipment
The ‘Wildfire Roadshow’ at Chobham Common on Thursday was a great success…with beautiful sunshine and two fire engines! A great turnout and lots of fun! Another huge thank you to Surrey Fire & Rescue Service.
Photo of Andrew pointing something out to interested children
And on Thursday afternoon Andrew Halstead, retired RHS entomologist and trustee for Horsell Common Preservation Society, took a group on a wonderful guided walk to look at the insect life on Horsell Common.
Photograph of Warden Nicky with a group at dusk.
Later that same day Warden Nicky was out again, this time at Wildmoor Heath to see if she could conjure up a nightjar or two! She did I hear!
Photo of the light trap.
After Nicky’s nightjar walk, the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) set up a light trap to see what moths we have on the heathland at Wildmoor.
Photo of people standing around a light in the dark.
Some of the people who came on the walk stayed to see what moths were being attracted to the light.
Crowds standing around a gazebo at Ockham Common.
Despite another iffy weather forecast for Friday, the Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (ARC) team set up at Ockham Common and people bravely ventured out to see them. We had a great turnout all day!

Two members of the ARC team showing a family a smooth snake.
The dedicated ARC team had kindly brought a smooth snake and a grass snake, slow worms and natterjack toads for us to take a closer look at. All species that thrive on heathland, though we don’t currently have a population of natterjacks on the Thames Basin Heaths.
Member of ARC team helping a small child hold a smooth snake.
The smooth snake was incredibly relaxed and lots of people got the chance to handle it under the careful supervision of the ARC team.
Warden Tin holding a smooth snake on his wrist.
Here’s Warden Tim enjoying his turn!
Group gathered on a hill at Chobham Common.
And last, but not least, Rob of the Chobham Commons Preservation Committee took a group on a walk across Chobham Common to appreciate the historic context of the landscape and the site of the Great Camp, where Queen Victoria came to review her troops in 1853.
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Heath Week 2020

Saturday 25th July to Sunday 2nd August – we went virtual! All the content is still available using #HeathWeek2020.

Heath Week 2020 logo

 

Heath Week 2019

Sunday 28th July to Saturday 3rd August. Click on a picture to start the story…

Heath Week 2019 logo
A week of activities for all the family! Bringing you the very best of the heaths across Surrey, Hampshire & Berkshire, the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area and beyond.
The RSPB kicked off the week with their Big Wild Sleepout at Farnham Heath. What a great family get together!
The second event was a botany walk organised by Warden Flo. What better way to get Heath Week 2019 underway than a look at the heather creating a purple paradise across Surrey, Hampshire & Berkshire! This is common heather, or ling, seen at Sheets Heath on Sunday on a walk called ‘Brilliant Botany’. It’s this heather that creates the swathes of purple on the heaths.
This type of heather is called cross-leaved heath, you’ll find it in damper areas. Take a close look at the arrangement of leaves and you’ll see where it gets its name.
Warden Flo looked at three types of heather on her “Brilliant Botany” walk at Sheets Heath on Sunday. This one’s the most vivid pink, it’s called bell heather and is found in drier areas.

Did you know we have insect-eating plants on the heaths? This is a sundew, a carnivorous plant seen on Flo’s walk at Sheets Heath on Sunday.
Warden Jamie’s favourite smell is grass snake! He was very pleased to see, and probably smell, this one at Englemere Pond during his nature walk on Monday. Grass snakes are completely harmless, but best only handled by trained professionals like Jamie.
Next came “Butterflies & Other Things with Wings” with the wardens at Chobham Common. We were all set for butterfly-themed crafts and guided walks to look for grayling butterflies.
Heathlands are very special places and the grayling is a very special butterfly. It’s rare nowadays, but if you have eagle-eyes, you can spot them on sandy paths on the heaths.
You need eagle-eyes because they are so well camouflaged! But with your help, we were able to spot some. How many can you spot in this picture?
This grayling butterfly sat right on this little girl’s hat!

Yet another grayling! Who said they were hard to spot?
Warden Mike, who some of you may know from our social media feeds, is looking at bristle bent grass, the food plant of the grayling butterfly caterpillar.
Taking a closer look at a butterfly at “Butterflies & Other Things with Wings” at Chobham Common.
Taking a closer look at a butterfly at “Butterflies & Other Things with Wings” at Chobham Common with Education Officer Michael.
Badge making was a great hit at “Butterflies & Other Things with Wings” at Chobham Common on Monday.
With lots of beautiful badges made!

Come to one of our craft days and you could make one too 🙂
Such spectacular weather on Monday to go with the spectacular artwork!
What happened to summer!? We weren’t so lucky with the weather on Tuesday! Here’s Warden Rupert checking on the cattle ready for ‘Herd on the Heath’. Unfortunately we had to cancel three events, including one of our ever popular nightjar walks. Look out for more of these next year. June is the best month to see this elusive, but absolutely fascinating bird, that comes all the way from Africa to nest on the heaths.
Fortunately the K9 Fire Patrol weren’t the only ones braving the weather at Horsell Common on Tuesday.
K9 Fire Patrol dog Nellie at the site of a recent fire on Horsell Common. Why not join our squad and help us prevent fires? To find out more, email us at tbhpartnership@naturalengland.org.uk.
Thank you to everyone who came to talk to us about the patrol. It’s great that so many people are interested in helping prevent fires. Regular dog walkers can help just by doing their normal walks. Email tbhpartnership@naturalengland.org.uk for details.

Entomologist Andrew Halstead entertained on Tuesday evening with tales of wonderfully named heathland insects such as the pantaloon bee, the box-headed blood bee and the hieroglyphic ladybird!
35 species of moth came to the light trap we set at Heather Farm after Andrew’s talk on Tuesday evening…and that wasn’t even the best weather for attracting moths. Moths are amazingly diverse!
On Wednesday of Heath Week 2019, Andrew Halstead, entomologist extraordinaire, took us to see the wolves of Horsell Common! The famous sand pit, notorious as the site of a Martian invasion in H.G. Wells’s War of the Worlds, is now home to 1000s of wolves! The shallow bowl of the sandpit makes it a very special habitat for these and other amazing creatures.
Here’s one of them! A bee wolf! A fascinating solitary wasp that preys on bees. Heathlands are home to 100s of species of incredible insects, each with its own story!
On Wednesday we also teamed up with ARC, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, to bring you a reptile roadshow with live animals, free crafts and even a local vet to allay your fears about adders.
Everyone enjoyed meeting the reptiles and amphibians. What a great opportunity to see and even handle such interesting creatures!

Including this silky slow worm.
What a whopper!
There were more colourful specimens observed too!
The reptiles made by Warden Jo’s craft team were just as impressive. Did you make this one yourself Warden Jamie?
Our crafty visitors took many beautiful reptile creations home as souvenirs of a great visit to Ockham Common.
As many of the lovely people our wardens speak to are dog owners, we thought…wouldn’t it be great to do something for them during Heath Week! So Heathland Hounds were down at Caesar’s Camp on Thursday with doggy goodies to give away and doggy chat. And for anyone interested in free advice, we had professional dog behaviourist Natalie Light with us.

Natalie, looking very colourful, a keen conservationist, has a wealth of practical training tips and ideas for keeping walks interesting.
Spot the conehead cricket! Jut one of the great finds at Esher Common with Elmbridge Borough Council on Thursday afternoon.
Thursday evening with Surrey Wildlife Trust at Ockham Common was a treat. Our Education Officer Michael led a twilight walk to introduce some of you to his favourite bird, the nightjar. These mythical creatures nest on the heaths of Surrey, Hampshire & Berkshire.
Nightjars in flight are always a crowd-pleaser!
If you’ve never seen a nightjar while out on the heaths, it’s not surprising! They are beautifully camouflaged, sit motionless during the day, and are only active when it’s dark!
Early birds on Friday at Wildmoor Heath were rewarded. The overnight light trap had attracted moths of all shapes and sizes!

Thank you to BBOWT, the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust for organising this super event.
On Friday we were with the Hampshire Countryside team at Yateley Common with a bee, butterfly and bug-themed nature day!
Our butterfly craft activities went down a storm!
With loads of you making these fantastic winged creatures to take home with you! Thanks for coming!
The creations were terrific!
Saturday brought an opportunity to get up close to a fire engine!

Also an opportunity to hear about the work of the Ministry of Defence. Around 50% of the Special Protection Area is used for military training, and lots of you had questions about access, parking, dog walking and training.
We work very closely with the DIO, Defence Infrastructure Organisation, who coordinate military training across the area. Many thanks to the DIO for accompanying us on two guided walks at Caesar’s Camp on Saturday.
We’re very lucky to have rare birds like the nightjar that come all the way from Africa to nest on the heaths. The children who came to see us at Lightwater on Saturday could colour one in!
Stone-painting, as well as colouring, is always popular at our free craft pitstops. We run them all year too. Visit our ‘What’s On’ page for all the latest!
Badge-making too!
So that was that! A fantastic week of fun across the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area and beyond. We’d like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who came! Hope to see you next year!

 

Heath Week 2018

Sunday 29th July to Saturday 4th August.

Heath Week 2018 logo

Dates for 2021: Saturday 24th July to Friday 30th July

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