About the reserve

The Elstead Group of Commons include Elstead, Royal, Bagmoor & Guinea Commons and are very popular with dog walkers, families and horse riders. They're a great place for bird watching - nightjars, Dartford warblers, tawny owls, woodpeckers and cuckoos have been spotted here. 

The Trust's herd of conservation grazing Belted Galloway cows can often be seen at work keeping scrub under control on precious lowland heath habitats.

The commons are extremely important in Surrey for 'saproxylic invertebrates' such as stag beetles, which are dependent on decaying wood. Fallen trees are deliberately left as deadwood habitats for invertebrates and fungi.

The area boasts several ponds and is a stronghold for breeding toads, supporting an estimated 1,000 individuals! It’s also a good place to spot a variety of dragonflies. Woodland butterflies, notably white admiral and purple hairstreak, are also a feature of these reserves.

Bagmoor Common is part of the Wealden Heaths 'Super' National Nature Reserve (NNR), a group of 18 sites in West Surrey which received the designation in 2025 as part of the King's Series, which aims to leave a lasting public legacy for people and nature by creating or extending 25 National Nature Reserves by 2027.

Please note that access to this site is subject to the terms and conditions of the Military Byelaws, which are displayed at all major access points.