Swan Update

Following the previous post about the disappearance of one of the adult swans on Kingsmere, we can now confirm that the adult male has been killed. We still do not know how this has happened but we have found a wing and some feathers in the woods some 300m from the pond.

Because of our concerns for their safety the four youngsters, and hopefully the adult female, are, with the assistance of London Wildcare and local Swan Rescue volunteers, now being moved to a colony at Kingston Lock. This is the time of year that the juvenile swans would be leaving their parents anyway but because of the terrain at the Queensmere it is almost impossible for them to fly out on their own.

Two of the juveniles have already been moved and the others will follow - just as soon as they can be caught.

Christmas Cards are on sale!

The 2007 Wimbledon & Putney Commons Christmas card is now on sale at the Ranger's Office. This year's picture shows the Keepers in the snow with a snowman!



We also still have some designs from previous years still available.

Pack of 10 cards for £4.

Fireworks are not permitted on Wimbledon and Putney Commons

Please note that the setting off of fireworks is not permitted on Wimbledon and Putney Commons. Byelaw 44 states:

No unauthorised person shall fire any gun, pistol, or other fire-arm, light any firework, or throw any stone, stick, or other missile, upon the Commons, or commit any other act thereon whereby persons using or frequenting the Commons may be endangered, nor have in his possession on the Commons any fire-arm or ammunition or any air-gun or other weapon operated by compressed air or any catapult or sling or bow or arrow.

Apart from the very serious risk to other Commons' users, there is also the risk of injury or even death to the wildlife of the Commons, and a very real risk of setting fire to the fauna.

Furthermore, it is an offence under Section 80 of the Explosives Act 1875 to throw or set off fireworks in any highway, street, thoroughfare or public place.

The power to enforce this section of the Act rests with the police and they will be be called if anyone is caught setting off fireworks on the Commons. Anyone found guilty is liable to pay a fine of up to £5,000.

Be warned that we take this matter very seriously.

Disappearance of Adult Swan

On the morning of Sunday 28th October, we noted the disappearance of one of the adult swans on Queensmere.

The area around the pond has been searched and there is no evidence to suggest the swan has been killed by a predator. It may be a complete coincidence but that morning an arrow, believed to have been fired from a small bow or crossbow, was found embedded in the silt of the pond. It is therefore possible that the swan was deliverately killed and removed from the site. However, it is equally possible that the swan has flown off.

Swans on the Queensmere

The Conservators and their staff, as well as the many Commons users who have contacted the Ranger's Office, are very concerned. The pair worked hard to raise their brood in difficult circumstances and successfully reared four out of five of the young that hatched.

If you have any information regarding this matter, please contact the Ranger's Office on 020 8788 7655 or by e-mail to rangers.office@btconnect.com

Mushroom picking - not permitted on Wimbledon and Putney Commons

We are at that time of year when the fungi start appearing on the Commons.

Tempting as it might be to pick a few for your breakfast, please be aware that it is an offence for any unauthorised person to remove fungi from the Commons. Byelaw 9 under the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Act 1871 states:

"No unauthorised person shall cut, fell, take, or sell, any gorse, heather, timber, or other trees, shrubs, brushwood, furze, fern, rushes, grass, or other plant, or natural product of the Commons on or from any part of the Commons."

We have, in the past, allowed some flexibility but the problem we now have is that many people come onto the Commons and pick four or five bagfuls of mushrooms that they then sell on to local restaurants. They do this with complete disregard for the environmental damage they cause to the area by trampling all over it, and without any thought to the ecological damage they are doing by stripping an entire area of fungi.

Once again a case of the few spoiling it for the majority.

Dog-walkers - please be aware

We have been advised of an incident that happened on Putney Heath on Saturday.

A lady was walking her dog in the Frying Pan area when her dog disappeared. This was unusual and she was naturally concerned. After searching for some time, she returned home in case someone had found her dog and tried to call her. This turned out to have been the case and some four hours later the man who called her eventually answered his phone. He had "rescued" her dog and demanded a £100 for the dog's return.

This is more than likely the work of a one-off opportunist but we would advise you to be on your guard and to make sure you keep your dog in sight at all times. The police have been advised of the incident and are investigating and our Mounted Keepers will also increase their patrols in the area.

If this has happened to you on the Commons or you have heard of this happening to anyone else, then please contact the Ranger's Office immediately on 020 8788 7655 to report the incident. You should also call Wandsworth Police on 020 8947 1212 and report the matter to them.

Kona, an Italian Greyhound, is missing. Can you help?

Kona is a very shy and nervous Italian Greyhound who went missing in the Wimbledon Park area on 12th September. The owner has informed us today that there has been a possible siting of Kona on Wimbledon Common.

If you are walking on the Common, please keep your eyes open for Kona and contact the owner, or the Ranger's Office on 020 8788 7655, if you do see him.

Stella, German Shepherd is missing

Stella is a 5 year old black and tan German Shepherd cross who
went missing on Wimbledon Common on Monday 27th August.

If you see Stella, please contact her owner on 020 8971 9333 or
contact the Ranger's Office on 020 8788 7655

Spate of thefts from the Windmill Car Park

We have had a spate of thefts from cars in the Windmill Car Park over the last few weeks. We are keeping an eye on the car park but we would ask all members of the public to be vigilant and not to leave any valuables in their cars.

If you see anyone acting suspiciously, please contact the Ranger's Office on 020 8788 7655

Ultimate Frisbee Championships

The Ultimate Frisbee Championships are being held at the Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields on Sat 1st and Sunday 2nd September 2007.

Ultimate is played between two teams of seven players on a large rectangular pitch. A line drawn across the pitch at either end creates two "endzones" (like in American Football). These are the goal-scoring areas. A goal is scored when a team completes a pass to a player standing (or more likely running) in the endzone they are attacking. Players cannot run with the disc. When you get the disc you must come to a stop and try to throw it to another player (a bit like netball). By passing from player to player, the offence attempts to work the disc up the pitch towards the endzone they are attacking. If the disc hits the ground or is intercepted or knocked down by the other team, then the opposition takes possession (a change of possession is called a "turnover", like American Football). Possession also changes if a receiver is outside the playing area when he or she catches it. The defending team attempts to stop the team with the disc from making progress upfield by marking them (as in soccer or basketball). The theory is that the offence won't want to pass to a player who is being marked closely, as it's likely to result in an interception. So it boils down to the offence players trying to get free of their markers to receive a pass, while the defence makes every effort to stay with them in the hope of forcing a turnover. Photo by Jon Hope Fouls and "Spirit of the Game" Ultimate is essentially non-contact; any contact between players can be declared a foul. There's a variety of other minor violations, but that's the big one. Ultimate is unique in that it is refereed by the players themselves, even at World Championship level, according to a code of conduct known as "the Spirit of the Game". This places the responsibility for fair play on the players themselves. In that respect, playing Ultimate is a completely different experience to playing other sports. And believe it or not, Ultimate's system of self-refereeing works. Beautifully.

All visitors are welcome!

For more details about Ultimate, please visit the UK Ultimate Association website.

Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields (Wimbledon Common)
Roehampton Vale
LONDON SW15 3PQ

Roxy is Missing - Can you help?

UPDATE: Roxy is now home!

Roxy is a young Staffordshire Bull Terrier who went missing on Wimbledon Common on Wednesday. If you have seen Roxy, or have any information on her whereabouts, please contact her owner on 07770 426800 or the Ranger's Office on 020 8788 7655.

Windmill Car Park Closing for Two Weeks from 17th September

Over recent years, the Conservators have received many complaints about the state of the Windmill Car Park and the many potholes that form in it. Despite continual maintenance and filling-in almost every month, the potholes still come back and this is starting to become a time-consuming, and expensive, maintenance operation.

The Conservators have therefore taken the decision to tarmac the main roadways through the car park. The parking spaces will remain a hardcore surface as they are now.

This work will commence on Monday 17th September and will continue for two weeks. During this time, The Plain (the grassed area alongside Windmill Road) will be opened up for public parking.

BBQs are NOT permitted on Wimbledon Common

Bye law 10 of the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Act 1871

"No unauthorised personnel shall in anywise injure, damage, or destroy any turf, gorse, furze, heather, fern, grass, timber or other trees, shrubs, brushwood, or other plants upon the Commons, or any part thereof, or dig upon or in, or break up or disturb the surface of the Commons, or of any part thereof, or of any gravel or sand-pit thereon, or light any fire upon the Commons, or wilfully or negligently place, throw or let fall any lighted or combustible substance, article or thing which may cause, or be likely to cause, damage by fire to any gorse, furze, heather, timber or other trees, shrubs, brushwood, or other plants upon the Commons. "

We realise that to many of you, this seems to make us "spoilsports", particularly if you have just put your burgers on to cook and a Keeper comes along and douses the BBQ with water. It's a lovely summer evening and you're just having a harmless BBQ in the sunshine. Where's the problem?

The problem is that, despite the wet weather we have experienced lately, it still does not take very much to set the Commons alight at this time of year. BBQs leave unsightly scorch marks in the grass and, if not attended to or extinguished properly, a fire can soon spread. The Commons are a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and is home to some rare species of flora and fauna. One careless mistake could wipe out an area of the Commons in minutes if fire takes hold.

Please do not light BBQs on the Common. Someone will report you and your BBQ will be extinguished. Offering a Keeper a sausage will not work!

Scouts Celebrate 100 Years with a Sunrise Ceremony!

This year the Scouting movement is celebrating its centenary and to mark the event, a worldwide Jamboree is being held. As part of the celebrations scouts all over the world will, on the morning of 1st August, be holding ceremonies and will take the day to reflect on the past 100 years and look forward to the next. Every Scout will have the opportunity to renew their promise at the 8 am Sunrise Ceremony.

The Scouting movement has a long association with Wimbledon Common because Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the movement, wrote his now famous book, Scouting for Boys, whilst staying at the Windmill.

Because of this association, the local Scout groups held their Sunrise Ceremony at the Windmill on Wimbledon Common this morning. The ceremony was attended by approximately 200 scouts and their leaders and also in attendance were local MP Stephen Hammond and the Mayor of Merton, Councillor John Dehaney.

The Conservators congratulate the Scouting movement on reaching their centenary year and wish them well for the next 100 years.

Another successful Stables Open Day!

The Keepers would like to thank everyone who turned up to support the Open Day this year. Despite the appalling weather forecast the day held fair and visitors turned up in their droves...... and stayed during the torrential downpour at 3pm! The lure of the Wacky Dog Show is obviously quite strong!

Some photos from the day

The Anglo-Nubian Goats - how popular were these!? They were so friendly and had no shortage of children willing to pet them!




The birds of prey are alwats popular with visitors and our thanks to HMP Latchmere for bringing them along






The Shire Horse from Richmond Park


The beautifully turned out horse and carriage


Dog-Handler, PC Steve Grange of the Wandsworth Parks Police - always a popular demonstration this one!


Our thanks to all everyone else who turned up to support us again this year:

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home
Greyhound Gap
RSPCA Putney
Natural England
Deen City Farm
Wildlife Watch Club
London Wildcare
Wimbledon Society
Norman Chapman - the Bee Man!
Jo Merriman - the basket weaver
Mick Baker - the man with the tools!
Army Cadets (Wandsworth) who organised the parking

The date for the Open Day next year is Sunday 13th July 2008 - mark it in your diaries now!

Do you have any suggestions for how we can make the Open Day bigger and better next year? If so, give us a call! We want to keep the event as much like a village fair as possible and to keep to a "countryside" theme.

Interested in having a stall at the Open Day? We allow charities to have stalls to sell merchandise to raise funds and awareness for their cause. We also like to have traditional craftspeople who can display their craft, and sell their items, but we will not permit purely commercial stalls. If you fit this criteria and would like a stall in 2008, please contact the Ranger's Office on 020 8788 7655 or by e-mail to rangers.office@btconnect.com

Diesel Spillage in Beverley Brook

At 09.30 this morning, the Ranger's Office was advised of a diesel spillage in the Beverley Brook. The matter has been reported to the Environment Agency and they are looking into where the spillage originates. The spillage has not originated on the Commons.

The smell of diesel is quite obvious and the water should be avoided. Dog-walkers are advised not to let their dogs into the Brook.

The Brook runs through Wimbledon Common along the Playing Fields, and then through Richmond Park, before eventually coming back onto the Common at Putney Lower Common.

Water Fountain at The Trough

We apologise that the water fountain has been out of order for several weeks.

We have had a leak in the area and Thames Water needed to leave the water turned off to try and locate the leak. The work has been completed and the Water Fountain is now up and running again.

We apologise for any incovenience this has caused.

Parking on The Triangle

Regular visitors to the Windmill area of the Common will have noticed that the area at the top of Windmill Road, known as the Triangle, has now been designated a no parking area.

There are a number of reasons for this:

• There is an increasing amount of dog fouling on this site and we consider that it has reached unacceptable levels. We have tried to encourage responsible dog owners to use the bins placed nearby, but many of them continue to ignore the mess made by their animals. Dog excrement is a pollutant and is regularly fouling the shoes of the local residents, especially when light levels are low and it cannot be avoided. In addition to this the grass surrounding the paddock is badly contaminated by faeces and urine. Children often pick this grass to feed to the horses in the paddock. This is not good for horse or child. A further reason for this restriction in parking is that the nearby grass plain is an amenity area, with the grass kept short to provide a play site for family groups during the warmer months. The heavy amount of dog fouling on the first 50 metres of this site constitutes a health hazard to young children. The dogs that do not immediately foul on the triangle site will inevitably deposit on the nearby grassland.

• On occasions, and as a result of poor parking, large delivery vehicles and our own tractors and trailers are unable to gain access. Where vehicles are forced to squeeze through, there is a real risk of damage to parked cars. The Conservators have a duty of care to the public. When they are made aware of a problem that involves health and safety issues, they have to take reasonable steps to remedy the problem. In this instance there is no reason for cars to park on the road, as the Windmill Car Park is within 100 metres of The Triangle.

Many people favour parking in that area once the car park is closed. However, the byelaws governing the Commons clearly state that theremay be no parking on the Commons between dusk and dawn.

Horses on Holiday!

The whole of the Stable Yard is currently being re-surfaced. Because of the noise and distress to the horses, the Keepers have taken the decision to send all four of our horses on a Spring holiday whilst the work is being completed.

We hope they will be back on a week or so.

Work at the Ranger's Office

We are currently having the old Stable Block re-built into much-needed extra office space. This is causing some disruption to visitors to the Ranger's Office, particularly as the yard around the office is being re-surfaced. Whilst the re-surfacing work is being carried out, the Information Centre may be closed on some days.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Dog-Waste Bins

Two of the dog-waste bins on the Roehampton Cricket Pitch area at the junction of Telegraph Road and Wildcroft Road have disappeared. One might have suspected vandals but not only have the bins disappeared, but the posts have been removed and the ground made good again. Not the work of your average vandal.

The bins were installed in the area in response to many complaints from local residents about dog-waste in the area. Either someone out there doesn't like them and has decided to take matters into their own hands and remove them or perhaps someone thought they would come in handy for their own use somewhere else. Either way, the loss of these bins will be considered as theft and if it is discovered who removed them, legal action will follow.

The Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators are a registered charity. They run on a limited budget and funds are stretched to ensure the Commons remain a safe and secure place for people to use. It will cost us several hundreds of pounds to replace these bins and if you have any information about their removal, please do contact the Ranger's Office on 020 8788 7655 or by e-mail rangers.office@btconnect.com

Bird Report 2006

The "Birds of Wimbledon Common and Putney Heath 2006" bird report is now available from the Ranger's Office at a cost of £3. This is the thirty-third annual report and is a detailed look at the bird life on the Common over the last year.

If you can't get to the Ranger's Office, you can send a cheque or postal order, made out to WPCC, and we will send a copy out to you by post. Please add an additional 50p to cover postage.

Dog-Waste Bins

The Conservators have, at some expense, installed fourteen dog-waste bins around the Commons. These have been placed in the most public areas and close to car parks.

Whilst it is not compulsory for dog-walkers to pick up after their dogs on the Commons, the Conservators and their staff would ask all dog-walkers to show their goodwill and help them keep the Commons as clear of dog mess as possible - particularly on paths and areas of open spaces where people gather.