Lydden Temple Ewell - The James Teacher Reserve
Location
London Road,
Temple Ewell
OS Map Reference
TR 287 444 (George and Dragon car park)What3Words:
walks.horses.movie
Know before you go
Entry fee
N/AParking information
The reserve car park is behind the old George and Dragon pub - situated above the cross roads behind the houses in the middle of Temple Ewell village.Bicycle parking
NoGrazing animals
Cattle are present at most times of the yearWalking trails
Very steep and rugged downland slopes.
Access
There is a steep narrow path and there are kissing gates/rambler gates. The surface is chalk/grass, steep, uneven and slippery and muddy when wet.
Dogs
When to visit
Opening times
Open at all timesBest time to visit
May to August for butterflies and wild flowersAbout the reserve
The sweeping steep grassland slopes of the Lydden Temple Ewell reserve is a sight you can never get tired of seeing.
Come the summer months, the slopes are a-wash with many colours from the diversity of grassland flowers that grow here, including orchids. This site is a place to go to see an overwhelming spectacle of butterflies, from the rich blue of the Adonis Blue butterfly to the small splashes of white and brown of the Silver-spotted Skipper. Over 20 species of butterflies have been counted on the reserve.
The site is accompanied by a symphony of noises from numerous crickets and grasshoppers. If you are extremely lucky with a hint of patience, you may even see one of the largest cricket residents, the Wart-biter Cricket; a flightless cricket the size of your thumb with a deep emerald colour that blends incredibly well with its grassland habitat. It is aptly named after its medicinal use for biting off warts. Surprisingly, this practice is no longer recommended!