Pewley Down is a 9.5-hectare (23-acre) Local Nature Reserve on the southern outskirts of Guildford in Surrey, adjacent to Pewley Hill. It is owned and managed by Guildford Borough Council.[1][2] The site is on a hill offering views south to St Martha's Hill, Chantry Wood, and beyond.
| Pewley Down | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Pewley Down, with Pewley Down Meadows in the foreground | |
 | |
| Type | Local Nature Reserve |
| Location | Guildford, Surrey |
| OS grid | TQ 008 489 |
| Area | 9.5 hectares (23 acres) |
| Created | July 29, 1920 |
| Managed by | Guildford Borough Council |
History
editPewley Down was owned by the Austens, a family of local merchants, from the early 16th century. Following the death of Robert Godwin-Austen in 1884, it passed to Henry Haversham Godwin-Austen. Partly as a result of the Agricultural Depression, his properties struggled financially, and Henry was declared bankrupt in 1898. In 1907, the bankruptcy trustees began to construct a road across Pewley Down in preparation for dividing the land into plots for housebuilding.[3][4]
After local protest, Pewley Down was purchased by the Friary, Holroyd & Healy's Brewery and donated to the town of Guildford on 29 July 1920 to commemorate the conclusion of the First World War as a peace thank offering with the condition that it be "preserved for time immemorial as a playground for the people of Guildford". The deed of conveyance was formally handed over to the mayor by Mr Charles Hoskins Master the chairman of directors.[5] [6] The site was designated as a local nature reserve in July 2006.[6] An adjacent set of fields, now known as Pewley Down Meadows, were purchased by the community in 2021 and are managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust as a local nature reserve.[7]
Nature
editThis site is an example of chalk downland, and has several species of rare flowering plants, including pyramidal and Man orchids.
Invertebrates include 26 species of butterflies, including the small blue and chalkhill blue, and 119 species of bees, wasps and ants.[1][6]
References
edit- ^ a b "Pewley Down". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
- ^ "Map of Pewley Down". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
- ^ Corke, Shirley (1990). Guildford : a pictorial history. Chichester: Phillimore. ISBN 0-85033-774-7. OCLC 24725825.
- ^ Chamberlin, E. R. (1982). Guildford. Chichester: Phillimore. ISBN 9780850334579. OCLC 1280919157.
- ^ The Surrey Advertiser 31 July 1920 p 5 accessed 10 July 2024
- ^ a b c Rose, David (2020-07-27). "The Story Of Pewley Down Gifted To Guildford 100 Years Ago". Guildford Dragon. Archived from the original on 2022-09-07. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
- ^ "Congratulations to the Pewley Down Fields Community!". Surrey Wildlife Trust. 2021-10-19. Archived from the original on 2021-10-24. Retrieved 2022-09-07.