Surrey and South London Downs

A group of volunteers from Surrey Countryside Partnerships works together in the Downlands, Lower Mole, and Surrey Heathland areas. They are engaged in various conservation tasks, such as habitat restoration and wildlife monitoring, contributing to the health and beauty of these diverse landscapes.

A Big Chalk Project

Surrey and South London Downs

Lead Organisation

Surrey Countryside Partnerships (Surrey County Council)

Partner Organisations

  • Tandridge District Council
  • Reigate and Banstead Borough Council
  • London Borough of Sutton
  • London Borough of Croydon
  • Epsom and Ewell Borough Council
  • Mole Valley District Council

Project Description

Surrey Countryside Partnerships provides a shared countryside management service for the core funding partners, which includes volunteer task programmes and a conservation grazing service.

We work on publicly and privately owned land across the North Downs from Dorking to Tatsfield and up into the urban fringe of south London, including the South London Downs NNR.

Project Location

Current project area covers Mole Valley District north of the A25, Reigate and Banstead Borough and Tandridge Borough north of M25, and all of Epsom and Ewell Borough, London Borough of Sutton and London Borough of Croydon.

Contribution to Big Chalk

Since the Surrey based Countryside Management Projects were set up, we have looked across borders and land ownerships to make links between habitats.

We have a small staff team and a large volunteer team supporting us, contributing more than 23,000 volunteer hours last year.

We manage chalk downland on several privately owned sites, as well as on land owned by our local authority partners, the City of London Corporation and Surrey Wildlife Trust.

We have many years of experience of implementing management schemes.

The Big Chalk vision matches our ambition and gives us the opportunity to share our experience and raise the profile of our work.

Read more

Have a project that could strengthen the future of southern England’s iconic chalk and limestone landscapes?

The Big Chalk programme brings together a dynamic suite of partner-led projects, each unique in its focus, area, and partnerships but sharing a commitment to our collective vision.

If your project contributes to the Big Chalk mission, we invite you to register it as a Big Chalk Project. Registered projects gain access to networking, shared learning, and best practice—alongside the Big Chalk brand, boosting your profile and connecting you to a powerful, growing network of partners.

Together, these projects form a united effort to secure the future of southern England’s chalk and limestone landscapes, making a lasting impact for nature and communities.

Register your project
By Surrey Countryside Partnerships
30 August 2024

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