Castle Hill, Chessington, Local nature reserve in Chessington, England
Castle Hill is a protected woodland reserve near Chessington covering about 3.5 hectares. The site contains mature oak trees, hazel thickets, bluebells, wood anemones, and visible earthworks that mark an earlier period of use.
A medieval hunting lodge once stood here as part of a deer park owned by Merton College, Oxford. The earthworks visible today are remnants of that earlier period of use.
The site takes its name from the earthworks that hint at its medieval past. Visitors can experience these historical traces while walking through the woodland and understand how the landscape was once used by people living nearby.
Access is through Filby Road and Chessington North station is the nearest railway connection for public transport users. The site is open during daylight hours and works well for peaceful woodland walks at any time of year.
The woodland provides habitat for uncommon brown hairstreak butterflies, especially females that benefit from traditional coppice management. Regular cutting back of shrubs creates open spaces that help sustain these sensitive butterflies.
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