The varied habitats of this historic, unenclosed common land include nationally scarce lowland acid grassland, meadows, secondary woodland, reed-beds, and rough grassland with heath. It is understandably designated as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) and Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI).

We welcome individuals, community groups, formal and informal educators, scientists, ecologists and everyone. We work in partnership with Richmond Council to manage Barnes Common. In this way, we work together to protect and enhance this unique space for local residents, visitors, and for the enjoyment of future generations. Our membership is free and open to all: your involvement will help us to preserve the Common for future generations to enjoy as we do.

The Flora of Barnes Common
The most characteristic habitat of Barnes Common is dry acid grassland, dominated by fine grasses such as Red fescue, Sheeps’ fescue, Wavy hair-grass and Early hair-grass. The flowering plants found in these areas are Sheep’s sorrel, which forms a reddish carpet in spring, Cats-ear and the attractive lemon-yellow Mouse-ear hawkweed. If you are lucky you can also find Creeping willow, Ling, Sand spurrey, a few Harebells and some yellow Ladies’ bedstraw. In some areas you can see the male form of the tiny Hair Cap moss Polytrichum juniperinum and the minute but very pretty Birdsfoot on some of the sandhills. One of the rarest and most interesting plants, which isn’t known from anywhere else in London, is the Burnet rose, which has been known from the Common for over 300 years.
Other grassland areas have been previously managed for sports and contain a coarser but colourful mix of plants such as Ox-eye daisies, Common Vetch, Speedwells and Willowherbs, as well as less attractive plants like Thistles.
The natural tendency of any open grassland areas is to become invaded by scrub, and in many areas there is abundant gorse and broom, also tree saplings. In time these will succeed to woodland, and many of the wooded areas on the Common are of quite recent origin. The most frequent trees are Oak and Birch, often with Holly, Hawthorn, Elder, Rowan and Wild cherry. There are also many planted trees including Red oak, Lime and Norway maple, London plane and Chestnut.
The Common used to be much wetter than it is now, and there are a few areas where you can still find Reeds, Purple Moorgrass, Lady’s smock and Gipsywort.
In an area surrounded by houses and gardens there are also sure to be a few blow-ins – this is especially true of the old Goods Yard area south of the station, which has many of the large colourful plants of waste ground such as Goat’s rue, Evening primrose, Yellow melilot and Michaelmas daisies. A similarly interesting mix of plants is found in the old Cemetery by the Rocks Lane car park, where among the planted shrubs and trees there are a number of self-seeded Cotoneasters.

Wildlife of Barnes Common
The lack of undisturbed areas and the small number of mammals make Barnes Common somewhat limited in animal wildlife. But there is plenty to enjoy, and of course it is right on our doorstep.
Foxes, squirrels, badgers, hedgehogs and small mammals (field mice and voles) are all common in addition to rats. The two types of voles support the tawny owl that hunts on the common every night. Surprisingly, there are no rabbits.
The bird population however is quite varied, but like island populations it is subject to fluctuations because suitable habitats are broken up into relatively small areas. The most numerous birds on the common are Robins and Wrens, both of which probably reach the maximum population possible whenever there is sufficient cover. Blue Tits and Great Tits are also likely to be seen on any walk through wooded sections of the common. Long-tailed Tits, Europe’s only pink and black bird, can often be seen in gorse patches, and it is always a delight to see a flock fluttering from clump to clump.
Thrushes are a large world-wide family, and Barnes Common plays host to five out of the six U.K. species: Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and, less commonly, Mistle Thrushes provide the background of song all over the common in spring and summer, whereas their cousins Fieldfares and Redwings only visit us briefly in the depth of winter.
The pink and blue Jay, a member of the Crow family, can often be seen flying from tree to tree uttering its harsh call, beloved by film makers wanting a spooky effect. But the most dramatic birds to be seen on the common are two members of the Woodpecker family: the black and white Great Spotted and the tropically-plumaged Green, the latter more easily heard than seen.
An average walk across the common will probably yield about thirty different bird species – and there is always the chance of a nice surprise, with an additional 20 to 30 species living on and around the common!