Wild Tolworth
Rewilding
Species Reintroductions
OVERVIEW
Our vision for Tolworth Court Farm is an urban nature reserve that, where possible, embraces natural processes to drive a complex, dynamic landscape full of wildlife, while providing engagement opportunities for local people.
A Vision of Co-curated Rewilding
Despite being home to ancient hedgerows, a locally significant population of brown hairstreak butterflies and a small fragment of wetland, the series of seven meadows spanning 43 hectares is far from reaching its ecological potential. This pioneering project between Citizen Zoo, The Community Brain and Kingston Council has the shared vision to establish a dynamic, mixed-mosaic nature reserve that nurtures a more diverse and abundant wildlife population. Through innovative rewilding measures inspired by rural projects such as mixed grazing regimes, we aim to restore and enhance the site’s ecological balance while honouring its rich cultural heritage.
Planned changes to the site
Despite its size and location along the green corridor of the Hogsmill, the site is underperforming in terms of the wildlife it supports. After 20 years of annual hay cuts that should increase botanical diversity, the site’s plant communities have degraded since the last surveys were conducted in 2003. Additionally, while the 1000+ insects and 40+ bird species recorded sounds an impressive number, this is far below what a site of this should support. Indeed, a few decades back the site was home to nationally rare ground-nesting birds such as skylarks and lapwing, plus increasingly scarce bullfinches.
Adopting the mixed grazing methods of successful rewilding projects in rural areas, such as Knepp Wildland and Wild Ken Hill, we are currently preparing the site for the re-introduction of livestock! We will be introducing a small number of cattle, and, latterly, pigs, which through their varied grazing behaviours, will improve plant diversity, aerate the soil and create a diversity of habitats. This will create a dynamic ecosystem within Kingston’s largest nature reserve helping to restore ecological balance and create a healthier ecosystem for local species and people.
With the invaluable support of our dedicated volunteers and local students, we are clearing vegetation around the perimeter of the site, preparing to install a secure livestock fence. Once in place, the cattle will be free to roam within the designated area. Each individual will be fitted with a GPS tag, allowing us to monitor their movements and make adjustments if needed, ensuring their welfare and the protection of the environment. You can see where the perimeter fence line will go below, as well as the retained access points.
Map of Fence & Wetland
Importance of Keeping Dogs on Leads
We are aware of the vital importance of the site in terms of local people’s access to green space as well as its popularity among dog walkers. However, with the presence of cattle, it will be increasingly important to keep dogs on leads. We will be using Sussex cattle, which will have received training around the presence of humans and dogs, and also be individually selected for their docile traits. This is a common breed for grazing in urban areas and means we can be confident of no issues arising, however, as with other projects, we will ask dog walkers to keep their dogs on leads within the enclosure as an extra precaution. Please see the FAQs section below for further details.
We are recruiting a dedicated team of ‘Wild Guardians’ to conduct checks on the livestock and their welfare everyday. If there are any issues flagged with the individuals or regarding their safety on site we will respond immediately. Do get in touch if you would like to be a part of this group. It will be a wonderful opportunity to get hands-on experience with a traditional breed, and we would love to have you on board!
Wetland Restoration: A new habitat for wildlife
Another key feature of the Wild Tolworth project is the restoration of a large wetland area in the Great Meadow. Historically, the Hogsmill River flowed through the western corner of Tolworth Court Farm Fields, which acted as a floodplain for the stream. The river was straightened around the 1950s to reduce flooding in the area. This was a commonly used method of flood reduction that counterintuitively passed the risk of flooding on further downstream, as the water flows quicker from A to B.
While we would like to have re-diverted the river back through the site, due to electrical, sewage and gas utilities on site, this was not possible. Instead, we will mimic the flow of the river with an enhanced closed system wetland. By restoring this important feature, we will rejuvenate the ecological balance of the area, providing vital new habitats for local wildlife while also reconnecting the site with its historical roots. This will increase the presence of many bird species and amphibians on site. Additionally, by storing surface runoff and slowing water entering the river, the wetland will help to prevent flooding downstream.
We will increase the accessibility of the site with a wheelchair-friendly boardwalk over the wetland, offering everyone the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of Tolworth Court Farm and experience this unique habitat up close.
Work to date
Thus far Citizen Zoo, alongside Kingston Council and the Community Brain has coordinated comprehensive ecological surveying including engaging with nationally recognised invertebrate experts and botanists, as well as pioneering bioacoustics surveys delivered by Carbon Rewild. Further to this work, in conjunction with the Field Studies Council and Biological Recording Company, we have run over 15 Community Field Recorders Days, where volunteers learn from species experts to help survey the site and learn more about the incredible wild within the reserve.
We are also working with local groups such as the Surbiton District Bird Watching Society and the local branch of Butterfly Conservation to run surveys. You can find all of the ecological survey reports in the folder here.
Working closely with The Community Brain, we have been delivering a range of community engagement activities, putting local people at the heart of this project. We have also been running Nature-Friendly Dog Walks as we know that the site is of great importance to this community. This has provided the opportunity for people to ask questions about the upcoming changes to Tolworth Court Farm. Find the next dates for these on our Eventbrite page here.
We would love to hear how you use the site and any ideas you may have moving forward. There will be lots of opportunities both in-person and virtually to engage and let your thoughts known.
FAQs
1. What will dog walkers do once there are livestock in the fields?
We understand that this site is popular for dog walkers and we do not want to restrict access, however, with the presence of cattle it will be increasingly important to keep your dogs on leads to prevent any possible incidents. Sussex cattle will be introduced, they are not aggressive and will have been trained and selected for docile traits and are therefore very unlikely to cause problems but it is best to be cautious for both the welfare of cattle and dogs.
2. How will the welfare of the livestock and cattle be ensured?
We are recruiting a dedicated team of ‘Wild Tolworth Guardians’ to conduct checks on the livestock and their welfare every day. If there are any issues flagged with the individuals or regarding their safety on site we will respond immediately.
3. What about the welfare of people and their dogs?
People and their dogs can still use Tolworth Court Farm Fields as an incredible site to go for walks! There are no safety risks as long as dogs are kept on their leads. The cows have a calm temperament and will not mind the presence of people or dogs, however it is often the case that dogs can react unexpectedly when around cows.
4. Why is there planning permission needed for the project?
In order to restore the ecological balance of Tolworth Court Farm Fields, we requested planning permission to create a new wetland, which has now successfully been granted. This wetland used to exist naturally before the Hogsmill was straightened and we hope it’s return will also see the return of an abundance of other species. There will be a boardwalk over the wetland so it will not reduce accessibility to the entire site.
5. Will accessibility to the site change? Will there be disabled access?
Accessibility to this site will only increase with the planned changes as we are having a wheelchair accessible path put in place by the main entrance. There will be a cattle safe fence replacing the current one on site but the entrances will all still be accessible to everyone.
6. Will there be a space for dogs to run off lead?
We recommend that dogs should be kept on leads at Tolworth Court Farm Fields for their own safety. However, the stretch of the site running parallel to the grazing area will remain outside the fencing and dogs can be exercised off-lead there. There are also lovely nearby spaces like King George’s Recreation Ground where dogs can run freely.
7. Will there be houses or buildings on site?
There will not be houses or buildings on site. There is planned development on site due to the creation of a wetland area but there will be nothing built on the site.
8. When will the changes take place?
We are hoping to have work begin towards the end of 2024, although due to some delays this may move into early 2025.
Get Involved and Contact Us
If any questions are not answered on this page, please do get in touch via [email protected]. Furthermore, please do sign up to our volunteer newsletter for updates on upcoming opportunities or check out our volunteer page here.
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