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| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 | |
| Location | Surrey |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TQ 128 564[1] |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 154.7 hectares (382 acres)[1] |
| Notification | 1985[1] |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Bookham Commons are twocommons, situated just to the north of the villages ofGreat Bookham andLittle Bookham, inSurrey,England, 154.7 hectares (382 acres) in extent; the individual parts are namedGreat Bookham Common andLittle Bookham Common. A group of dwellings known as the Isle of Wight is situated within the site, and a track, Common Road, leads to it from the northwest. Little Bookham Common (the smaller of the two parts of the site) lies south and west of this track, whereas Great Bookham Common lies to the east.
Together the two commons comprise aSite of Special Scientific Interest.
The site is owned by theNational Trust. A network ofpublic footpaths and public bridleways cross the site: in addition, there are a number of concessionary horse rides.[2]
The site sits onLondon Clay.Habitat types present includewoodland,scrub,grassland and open water.
Woodland covers approximately two-thirds of the site. The majority of this woodland is mature and dominated bypedunculate oak (Quercus robur). These woodlands are dissected by a network of rides.
Little Bookham Common is a mosaic of rough grassland and scrub; much of this common is poorly drained and there are several oldgunpits andbomb craters. The areas of open grassland are dominated bytufted hair-grass (Deschampsia cespitosa).
There are several woodlandponds on the site and atributary of theRiver Mole runs across it.
The site's nature conservation importance (the reason for SSSI designation), is due to its plant communities, its community of breeding birds and its invertebrate communities.
Thin-spiked wood sedge (Carex strigosa), which is scarce in Surrey, is present in woodlands at the site. Two species of rose which are scarce in Surrey,Rosa micrantha andRosa stylosa are found in the scrub on Little Bookham Common. Thebryophyte flora in the site's woodland is rich and includes one of only two Surrey localities for the mossZygodon conoideus. Notable plants found in the grassland of Little Bookham Common includesouthern marsh-orchid (Dactylorhiza praetermissa),pepper-saxifrage (Silaum silaus),spiked sedge (Carex spicata) andadder’s-tongue fern (Ophioglossum vulgatum). The flora of the site's open water habitats includes three plants which are scarce in Surrey:greater duckweed (Lemna polyrhiza),fat duckweed (Lemna gibba) andthread-leaved water-crowfoot (Ranunculus trichophyllus), whiletall-herb fen communities here support two plants which are rare in Surrey, the grassorange foxtail (Alopecurus aequalis) andeared willow (Salix aurita).
Breeding birds which are associated with woodland at this site includehawfinch,woodcock andlesser spotted woodpecker, whilst those breeding in scrub areas includenightingale andgrasshopper warbler.
The site has a very well-recorded invertebrate fauna, which includes 611 species ofbeetle, 1140 species offly, 146true bugs, 201spiders, 17dragonflies and over 300 species of butterflies and moths.
Dead oak trees provide habitat for several beetles which are scarce in Surrey includingNemadus colonoides andAridius nodifer . Two moths which occur, thetoadflax brocade and thebroad-bordered bee hawkmoth arenationally rare. This is a well-known site for thepurple emperor, and other scarce butterflies which are present includewhite-letter andpurple hairstreaks and thewhite admiral.
51°17′47″N0°23′01″W / 51.29646°N 0.38352°W /51.29646; -0.38352
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