We want to help visitors enjoy and appreciate the nature at Buckland Park Lake, with signage and educational boards to give you a bit more information on our resident flora and fauna.
Take a walk along our Woodland and Lake Circuit trails. We have installed two bird hides, accessible from the Lake Circuit Walk, If the walk is too much for you, we offer guided tours and a shuttle service.
We are continually improving our knowledge and records of the site, so volunteers and ecologists are welcome to get in touch to discuss potential collaboration.
The Park has become a large and diverse ecosystem, home to a variety of wildlife. With the help of our wonderful volunteers and friends we have recorded 102 different bird species in the last couple of years. Of particular interest are a colony of sand martins, which breed in the sandy cliff faces and return most years.
We have spotted 29 different species of butterfly, including purple emperors, gatekeepers and small tortoiseshells. Amongst the 50 acres of mixed woodland we have recorded 224 species of plants and flowers.
Visit our wildlife microsite where you can upload your best nature images.We will award vouchers for any images published.
Our two hides are accessible from signposted tracks from the Lake Circuit Track and are available for use. Whether a keen birder or not you are welcome to visit. Just remember to bring your binoculars.
We regularly see Finches, Wagtails, Goldfinches, Starlings, Robins, Long-Tailed Tits, Nuthatches and Woodpeckers and occasionally are treated to visits from Buzzards, Dunnocks and Willow Warblers. Little Egrets, Red Kites and Peregrine Falcons have been observed in flight over the site.
The lake is a home to many species of water birds such as Tufted Ducks, Mallard, Pochard, Teal, Mandarin Ducks, Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Canada Geese, Egyptian Geese, Greylag Geese and Mute Swans.
The Sand Martin colony returns most summers and can be enjoyed from the Meadow. They are always active and easy to spot popping in and out of their nests in the sandy cliff face, busy looking for little bugs to eat.
At Buckland Park Lake we are blessed with nearly 50 acres of mature mixed woodland.
Some of our site is designated as Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland, mainly made up of native hardwoods and softwoods such as Alder, Ash, Aspen, Beech, Elm, Field Maple, Hazel, Oak, Scots Pine, Silver Birch, Sycamore, Whitebeam and Willow. But there are also more recent additions from forestry management and quarry restoration and Mother Nature has also played her part. So keep an eye out for Blue Colorado Spruce, Corsican Pine, Douglas Fir, Horse and Sweet Chestnut, Larch, Lodgepole Pine, Red Oak, Red Pine, Serbian Spruce and Western Red Cedar.
Have a look at our nature notes and explore the different habitats, from the wet woodlands alongside much of the stream running through the eastern edge of the site to the sandier areas elsewhere.
And don’t forget our record owning Field Maple. It is the Surrey Champion – the biggest (or fattest) recorded Field Maple in Surrey. This is one of two “veterans” at Buckland Park Lake, the other being a large Ash tree in the meadow to the south of the lake.
We often spot rabbits, foxes, squirrels and occasionally roe deer. Harder to spot nocturnal animals, but ones we see evidence of include; dormice, bats, badgers, hedgehogs, and great crested newts. If you listen carefully you might hear frog song, likely from groups of common frogs, who sometimes put in a group effort and make quite a racket.
Our lagoon provides a home for brown and rainbow trout and crayfish. The lake edges provide a habitat for water voles and water insects such as dragonflies, damsel flies, mayflies and a variety of bees, ants and wasps.
Our 1km Woodland Trail starts near the ticket hut and winds through a mixture of Scots Pine, Beech and Silver Birch trees. Look out for our nature boards along the way.
Halfway along the trail, you will come across our awesome Woodland Viking Camp. Built and managed by The SHAC.
The trail brings you through the last woodland section and out onto the eastern bank of the lake, where you can enjoy a glorious, expansive view of the water. From there, you can choose to walk the Lake Circuit Walk, the Boathouse Walk or head back to the Picnic Lawn or Meadow.
The Woodland Walk is a woodland path with steps at the beginning. Light buggies can pass in dry conditions but the surface is not currently suitable for wheelchairs or mobility scooters.
The Lake Circuit walk can be reached by first walking the woodland walk, starting near the ticket office or head up the track just past the ticket office to start at the double oak gates. The walk is a flat grassy path of just over 2km that takes you the whole way around our lake, finishing up on the meadow. Along the way you can stop and take in the peace and quiet and the serene views on the benches we have dotted along the path. If you would like to visit one of our bird hides, just follow the signs leading from the circuit walk.
At the south of the lake is Dungates Farmhouse, a 16th century building with later additions and adjoining stables. It is not part of the site but the grassy area nearby provides a fabulous view back to The Reverie against the backdrop of the North Downs.
Walking clockwise, you pass one of the bird hides on the western lake shore. In the north eastern corner, you will see four small islands in the lake, the domain of nesting birds.
With the exciting addition of El Rucio, our four seater electric buggy, we can now offer the following services;
/ Guided tours of the park.
/ A shuttle service from the car park, to harder to reach areas of the park eg The Reverie, picnic lawn or bird hides.
/ Collection to and from our private dining pods dotted at scenic points around the park. More info on dining options from The Reverie.
One hour Guided Tour / £25 for two passengers and £30 for three.
Message us for more information or to book hello@bucklandparklake.co.uk or enquire at the ticket office.
We have a small fly-fishing club who have access to three of our lakes where we have brown and rainbow trout. To join our club please contact hello@bucklandparklake.co.uk Boats are reserved for the fishing club.
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Buckland Park Lake, Park Lake Drive, Buckland, Betchworth, RH3 7FE
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