Thursley National Nature Reserve
Elstead, Waverley
Photo: Tim Sheerman-Chase, CC BY 4.0Photo: Tim Sheerman-Chase, CC BY 4.0
One of the largest surviving pieces of Surrey heathland, 325 hectares of dry heath, peat bog, ponds and woodland managed by Natural England as part of the Wealden Heaths National Nature Reserve. It is one of the best places in England to see dragonflies.
Highlights
- Heath Trail of about 2.25 miles with long boardwalks over the bog
- Dragonfly Nature Trail with a large dragonfly sculpture
- Sundews, bog asphodel and early marsh orchids
- Dartford warblers, stonechats and redstarts
Good to know
- Parts were used for military training, so do not touch any suspicious objects and report them to the police
- Milford, Haslemere and Witley are the nearest stations; buses run from Godalming to Elstead
- Allow at least two hours for the Heath Trail
Getting there
Thursley National Nature Reserve, The Moat car park, Thursley Road, south of Elstead, Surrey, GU8 6LWParking: Car parks at The Moat on Thursley Road south of Elstead, and on the recreation ground in Thursley village. Bike racks at The Moat.
Get directionsChecked on 19 October 2026 against gov.uk, publications.naturalengland.org.uk. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check
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Nearby
Witley and Milford Commons
Heathland, woodland and grassland a few minutes' walk from Witley village, with sandy paths that stay dry in most weather. A natural play trail starts from the Webb Road car park, and a map shows the nature trail and the Second World War baseball pitch.
Photo: Peter S, CC BY-SA 2.0Frensham Little Pond
A 13th-century fish pond set in heathland between Farnham and Hindhead, owned by the National Trust and part of the Wealden Heaths National Nature Reserve. A level walk circles the water, with the Tern Café looking over it.
Photo: Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 3.0Rural Life Living Museum
An open-air museum in the countryside near Tilford with historic rural buildings and a large collection of farm machinery, tools, cycles and fire engines from country life. It runs toddler mornings, activity days and courses through the year.