Greyhound approved walks in and around Surrey
Hankley Common is a 560-hectare nature reserve near the village of Elstead in Surrey comprising lowland heath and woodland. The site is part of the Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Puttenham Common is a private estate of woodland, heathland, grassland, wetlands and ponds managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust.
Blackheath Common is an area of 250 acres (100 ha) of heathland south-east of Guildford and near the village of Albury.
Elstead Common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, as are neighbouring Ockley and Royal commons (Walks with Rena post for the latter is here). All are managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust on behalf of the MOD. Elstead and Ockley commons are recognised as some of the finest remaining lowland heath in the south of England and are awash with heather, gorse and bracken. The woodlands on its perimeter are primarily made up of birch and Scots pine.
Wisley and Ockham Commons and Chatley Heath is a 297-acre nature reserve owned by Surrey County Council and managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust. The site is mainly heathland but it also has areas of open water, bog, woodland and scrub. Here you'll also find the only working semaphore tower in Britain and an ornate mausoleum.
Royal Common, just outside Elstead, is part of the Longmoor Training Area owned by the Defence Estates, which also covers large parts of Hankley, Elstead and Ockley commons. Public access is allowed across the Defence Training Estate provided you adhere to the Surrey Commons Military Lands Byelaws 1978. Army training here (when it takes place) revolves around logistics and minor infantry manoeuvre exercises and you're unlikely to come to any harm, but make sure you follow the instructions of troops if you do encounter any.
down Forest is in East Sussex and it has some absolutely stunning locations to enjoy. More than 300 years old, Nutley Windmill is a grade II listed open trestle post mill, which has been restored to working order. The Garden of Eden waterfall is tucked away, just off one of the main rides and formed by a stream cascading down over some rocks. Manage your expectations, you’re not in the Yorkshire Dales or the Peak District, but it’s a pretty little spot all the same.
The Devil’s Punch Bowl, part of the Hindhead Commons, is a large natural amphitheatre near Thursley and Hindhead, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and managed by the National Trust.
There’s not much to be said about Sheets Heath and online research threw up very little as well. Its Wikipedia page hints at a sniff of scandal, claiming that the Woking Borough Council website says the common is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) but that this is not corroborated by the official SSSI list held by Natural England.
Silvermere is a lesser-known part of Wisley and Ockham commons, owned by Surrey County Council and managed by the Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT).
Walks with Rena 