Patmore Heath - protecting its future


Patmore Heath is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) as well as an area of natural beauty that is right on our doorsteps.  It is a natural resource for Albury's residents as well as the many of the visitors to the area.  People use the heath for leisure activities and generally respect the beauty of the place.

Click here to see some pictures of the heath at its best through the seasons.

Patmore Heath has been designated a SSSI by English Nature and as such there are certain restrictions on what can be done.  It is also subject to regular inspections and advice is given on the current condition of the reserve.  For further information on the initial citation and to see why Patmore Heath has this status click here.  To see what restrictions apply click here.

A report written on 3rd March 2003 by English Nature can be downloaded here.  and a brief assessment written on 1st October 2004 can be found here. Later reports are also available from Albury Parish Council.

Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust have a five-year plan for Patmore Heath to determine how it should be managed.  This has been presented to the Parish Council but as residents of Patmore Heath and Albury village, we are being kept in the dark.

Please speak to your local Parish Councillor if you have any comments about the management of Patmore Heath.

Paul Cooper
White Cottage
June 2005
Updated March 2016

Comments from readers of this website:

I don't know that much about the heath and I have to say I have always found it a rather unattractive nature zone because it resembles little more than a well trampled park aimed at human needs. The trees being sparsely distributed remind me of little more than a typical scene from stately home grounds - nothing special. Not nearly enough of the site is reserved just for nature. As someone who constantly studies local nature I'm not sure about the argument for keeping the grass so short. I find much more life on the local roadside verges...grass tends to be long and there is much more cover for insects, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Sheep grazing appears to be a current bio fad but again I'm not sure of the real long-term outcomes. I imagine a much more magical, bio-diverse and special space can be created. This could include some proper native locally sourced woodland (different from the human needs focused woodlands locally) which is virtually non-existent in Herts. In the end by creating a more wildlife friendly space, the aesthetics will be naturally enhanced.
Richard Butler

Congratulations on the photos on the website. They are excellent and I look forward to the further development of the site. I have known Patmore Heath for sixty years as my family have lived at Hixham Hall all my life and they are by far the best photos I have seen. The preservation of the heath is so important when I think how neglected it has been in the past.
Peter Totman

Driving just from Little Hallingbury we 'found' Patmore Heath by luck. A wonderful place, and a real treasure of 'living' countryside, in the same manner of Hampshires New Forest. The area is in tune with the needs of living with nature not just some bland reserve.
John Meyer