Inholms Clay Pit | |
---|---|
Type | Local Nature Reserve |
Location | Dorking, Surrey |
OS grid | TQ 174 471 |
Area | 8.4 hectares (21 acres) |
Managed by | Surrey Wildlife Trust |
Inholms Clay Pit is a 8.4-hectare (21-acre) Local Nature Reserve south of Dorking in Surrey. It is owned by Mole Valley District Council and from 2009 - 2019 was managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust [1] [2] and since then by Mole Valley District Council. [3]
This former clay quarry has young woodland and open grassland. Flora in the woods include dog's mercury and wood anemone, while the grassland has orchids almost entirely common spotted. [4]
Access is from Inholms Lane via a footpath from Holmbury Drive.
The interest of the site lies in its successional diversity, as is typical for brownfield sites. Habitats range from ancient semi natural woodland to freshly bare soil, with many areas that were bare soil 40 years or more ago. Two south-facing cliffs were created by SWT around 2012 to benefit thermophilic hymenoptera, a first for Surrey.
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. Much of the North Downs comprises two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs): the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs. The North Downs Way National Trail runs along the North Downs from Farnham to Dover.
Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) was founded in 1959 as Surrey Naturalists' Trust and it is one of forty-six wildlife trusts covering Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man and Alderney. SWT carries out conservation activities on a considerable area of Surrey County Council's large countryside estate and also manages land on behalf of the Ministry of Defence estate. As of 2022 the SWT manages more than 6,000 hectares of land for wildlife and employs more than 100 staff. It had an income of £5.1 million and expenditure of £5.7 million.
Combe Bottom is a 42.1-hectare (104-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of Shere in Surrey. It is designated a Local Nature Reserve called Shere Woodlands, and is managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Esher Commons is a 360.1-hectare (890-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest south-west of Esher in Surrey. It includes Esher Common, Fairmile Common, West End Common and Oxshott Heath. Esher Common and West End Common are Local Nature Reserves.
Hackhurst and White Downs is a 185.1-hectare (457-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Dorking in Surrey. White Downs is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade 2, and part of it is in the 200-hectare (490-acre) White Downs nature reserve, which is owned by the Wotton Estate and managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT). Hackhurst Downs is a 29.9-hectare (74-acre) Local Nature Reserve, which part of the 40-hectare (99-acre) Hackhurst Downs nature reserve, which is owned by Surrey County Council and also managed by the SWT.
Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment is a 1,016.4-hectare (2,512-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of Reigate in Surrey. It is a Geological Conservation Review site and a Special Area of Conservation. Part of it is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I. Two small private nature reserves in the site are managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust, Dawcombe and Fraser Down.
Sheepleas is a 99.9-hectare (247-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Guildford in Surrey. It is a Geological Conservation Review site and a Local Nature Reserve. It is owned by Surrey County Council and managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Shorn Cliff And Caswell Woods is a 69.2-hectare (171-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1986. The site is listed in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review' as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS).
Wouldham to Detling Escarpment is a 311.2-hectare (769-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest which stretches from Wouldham to Detling, north of Maidstone in Kent. Part of it is a Geological Conservation Review site, and it is part of the North Downs Woodlands Special Area of Conservation and the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is a Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I and it includes three Kent Wildlife Trust nature reserves and a Local Nature Reserve,
Blindley Heath SSSI is a 26.3-hectare (65-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in the hamlet Blindley Heath, on the southern outskirts of Godstone in Surrey. It is also a Local Nature Reserve. It is owned by Godstone Parish Council and managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust
Bisley and West End Commons is a 37.2-hectare (92-acre) Local Nature Reserve west of Woking in Surrey. It is part of the 46-hectare (110-acre) Bisley & West End Commons and Reidon Hill nature reserve, which is owned by Surrey County Council and managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust. The site is also part of the Colony Bog and Bagshot Heath Site of Special Scientific Interest, the Thursley, Ash, Pirbright & Chobham Special Area of Conservation and the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area,
Brentmoor Heath is a 28.6-hectare (71-acre) Local Nature Reserve east of Camberley in Surrey. It is part of Brentmoor Heath and Folly Bog nature reserve, the ownership of which is divided between the Ministry of Defence, Surrey County Council and Surrey Heath Borough Council, and is managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust. The site is also part of Colony Bog and Bagshot Heath site of Special Scientific Interest, Thursley, Ash, Pirbright & Chobham Special Area of Conservation and Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area.
Chinthurst Hill is a 17.2-hectare (43-acre) Local Nature Reserve south of Guildford in Surrey. It is owned by Surrey County Council and managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust. Chinthurst Hill Tower is a Grade II Scheduled Monument.
Hill Park, Tatsfield is a 24.5-hectare (61-acre) Local Nature Reserve south of Tatsfield in Surrey. It is owned by Surrey County Council and managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Rodborough Common is a 62.2-hectare (154-acre) Local Nature Reserve west of Milford in Surrey. It is owned by Surrey County Council and managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Dawcombe is a 23-hectare (57-acre) nature reserve north-west of Reigate in Surrey. It is managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust. It is part of the Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation.
Deepdene Terrace is a 4-hectare (9.9-acre) nature reserve south-east of Dorking in Surrey. It is owned by Mole Valley District Council and managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Fraser Down is a 10-hectare (25-acre) nature reserve north of Betchworth in Surrey. It is managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust. It is part of the Mole Gap to Reigate Escarpment Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation.