Bowland Award Nominee: Chiltern Commons

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Bowland Award NomineeChilterns Commons Project

Chilterns Commons Project

2011-2015

Castle Hill, Totternhoe

Working at a landscape scale but with fragmented, scattered sites Over 200 commons

2,100 ha of common land or 2.5% of the AONB

75% of commons are less than 5 ha

Smallest common is 8.7 square metres and the largest common is 440 ha

Why are commons special?

Over half of the common land in the Chilterns is designated for its wildlife habitats – SAC, SSSI, LWS

Rich Historic Environment

Centuries of cultural and social history

No agricultural improvement

Support locally and nationally rare species

Highly valued by local communities

Legislation protects commons and regulates management

Studham Common

Dunstable Downs

Animal Pound

Kite Festival at Dunstable Downs

Horse riders on Chorleywood Common

Golf at Ley Hill Common

Winter fun, Downley Common

Greys Green

Nettlebed Common 100 years ago

Bottle kiln, Nettlebed Common

Ancient beech coppice, Nettlebed Common

Brick kilns, Cadmore End Common

Naphill Common

Ponds in former clay workings, Nettlebed Common

Hawridge Common

Pubic Awareness- Almost Nil

Common Rights - Not Exercised

Management- Little

Supported by

£500,000 project with £400,000 from HLF

Chilterns Conservation Board

Chiltern Society

17 other project partners

Volunteer time

This is what we’re aiming for

Chicken of the Woods

Pholiota squarrosa Shaggy scalycap

Bisporella pallescens(<50 British records, new county species)

Crepidotus sp.Oysterling

Octospora humosa (<1cm across)(new county species)

Cordiceps ophioglossoidesSnaketongue Truffleclub

(new county species)

DOING STUFF

Getting Local People Involved

Volunteer work party on Hawridge & Cholesbury Commons

Site Management – 13 major sitesPlans, Training, Equipment, Contractors

Volunteer work party on Hawridge & Cholesbury Commons

Site Management Plans, Training, Equipment, Contractors

Scrub Clearance

Pond Management

Conserving a Scheduled Monument – Neolithic barrows

Surveys

Mobile Sawmilling

HOLMER GREEN

C of E

BAPTISTPRIMITIVE

METHODIST

WESLEYAN OTHER

Churches and chapels built between 1800 and 1900

Historical ResearchCommons and Non Conformists

Chapels and Commons

First World War Trenches

RAF trainees cleared scrub

Volunteers mapping location and orientation of WWI trenches

Setting up and Supporting Friends Groups

Training – 600 participants24 Training Courses so far

Demonstrating types of brush cutter – have since funded 4 for Friends Groups

Training – 600 participants

Teaching how to identify hazardous trees

Training – 600 participants

Teaching how to undertake species surveys

Training – 600 participants

Teaching Friends Groups how to run family fun days

Education Projects

West Wycombe Combined School making a film about their local common

The Chilterns Commons Festival1400 visitors

Brick making by hand

Affordable Housing in the Chilterns

Selling off the Staff

Taking one for the cause

Going the Extra MileXxxx the Bailiff

Volunteer with his own balls

Make History

Vote for the Chilterns

- the first back to back Winner of

The Bowland Award