About the reserve

Chitty's Common is part of the The Worplesdon group of commons, which comprises eight commons within the parish of Worplesdon near Guildford.

Chitty's is a local community common, hidden between the houses of Rydes Hill. This green oasis is a wildlife magnet whose importance is far greater than it's apparent size. The Common provides a rich mosaic of habitats (grassland, secondary and wet woodland on a former wood pasture site and a series of connecting ponds and ditches), which are valuable for many notable species of local and regional importance.

The Common is a place to view many species of butterflies flying across the open grassland, as well as small mammals, birds, bats, amphibians and invertebrates. The woodland areas have a nice selection of wildflowers, including large swathes of wild garlic. There is also plenty of important dead wood that is left in-situ to provide an ideal habitat for many invertebrates including the stag beetle.