© Philip Precey
Location
OS Map Reference
TQ 238 618
Know before you go
Parking information
No car park - Access via unmarked footpath near Cheam Road roundabout A232Grazing animals
CattleAccess
Not suitable for wheelchair users or those with limited mobility
Dogs
When to visit
Opening times
Open at all timesBest time to visit
May to JulyAbout the reserve
The chalk spoil heaps on Howell Hill were created in the 1960s when the adjoining school playing fields were levelled. The area was left unmanaged for many years, but now shows a great deal of variety for such a small site.
Some 260 kinds of flowering plants have been recorded, including large colonies of mouse-eared hawkweed and kidney vetch, bee, common spotted, fragrant, pyramidal and white helleborine orchids as well as two species of broomrape.
The area supports many anthills, which provide good feeding for green woodpeckers. A variety of insects and other invertebrates occur and there are more than 20 different kind of butterfly including green hairstreak and small blue.
Species
Habitat
Contact us
Environmental designation
