Upcoming Events…
🦔 HEDGEHOG HIGHWAYS PROJECT 🦔
We’re not doing monitoring tunnels this year but we’d still love you to report any sightings of hedgehogs (hopefully alive, but also dead) in the Onslow Village area so we can add them to our 2026 map.
Most of our hedgehog sightings last year were in April and May so now is the time to keep a look out!
If you see a hedgehog please email info@ovra.org.uk letting us know when and where you saw it. If you have a photo of it that you’re happy for us to add to our website hedgehog gallery add that to your email too!
To see last year’s map and hedgehog gallery visit the Hedgehog Highway’s page here.
Local News ….
Update on the Loseley path closure
(For documents previously posted about the path closure, and for a link to the evidence form and map, visit the ‘News’ page under ‘Onslow Village’ on the main menu or clickhere
Loseley offer a fenced footpath along the top of the south fields up to the mast enclosure
Report by Jo Rew
On Friday 17th April, Lorimer Burn (Chair of St. Catherine’s Village Association), Jo Rew (Chair of Onslow Village Residents Association) and Angela Goodwin (Local Councillor) met with Jim Heroys (Loseley Estate Manager since December 2025) and Alexander More-Molyneux (Landowner) to discuss the path along the South Fields.
The meeting was both good natured and productive. Both parties listened carefully and Jim Heroys was particularly keen to find a solution that would work for everyone by the end of the one hour meeting. He was disappointed that Loseley’s second proposal of the shorter wooded path running alongside the ‘dead hedge’ outside the field wasn’t acceptable, but quickly offered a fenced path in the field from Henley Fort up to the masts. When we asked for it to start from the beginning of the field Alexander M-M was consulted and after being reassured that past antisocial behaviour in that area was no longer an issue, he agreed for the full length to be offered. At present the offer is for a permissive path, with the fence paid for by the Estate. However AM-M said he would take legal advice on the possibility of making it a permanent path through a Creation Agreement with the Borough Council. The fencing will be stock fencing, the same as the new fencing on the footpath down the hill to Conduits Farm. We suggested that they might like to be generous and give us the short stretch of path on the other side of the masts as well. While they didn’t say no, Jim was clear that we were here to find a compromise that worked for us all, so we’d start with the stretch that had just been agreed.
We discussed the removal of the hedge and AM-M seemed genuinely unaware of what had been done. We explained that it had made the community very angry and that it had been reported to the relevant bodies. AM-M said that he would never have agreed it and demonstrated that he fully understands the value of hedges. We were left with the impression that AM-M cares deeply about the nature under his stewardship.
We raised several other issues during the meeting. We asked about the new fencing which is being put up around the estate and particularly the barbed wire being used at the top of the stock fencing along the paths and nature reserve. Jim explained that this is standard practice, it’s fully sanctioned by GBC and has been chosen because it is effective at keeping stock enclosed. It is possible at some point in the future that they might experiment with having stock in the woodland (as Hampton’s estate do), so they are simply future proofing. However he also said that the fence next to the footpath had mistakenly had the barbed wire attached to the wrong side of the posts and this will be rectified very quickly.
We also discussed the track that they appear to be closing to the public that connects the North Downs Way to the footpath that runs alongside the lake with the views of Loseley House. We explained that this is the most direct route for us if we want to visit Loseley House or Gardens and we asked if it could be made in to a permissive path. They said that that would have to be discussed at another meeting but that our request had been noted and they would be happy to discuss it at a later date.
Jim Heroys and Alexander More-Molyneux are very keen to develop a closer relationship with the community. Jim suggested that he give us regular updates on what is going on around the Estate – an offer we enthusiastically accepted. When Angela said that many within the community had said they would like to volunteer on the Estate, AM-M was interested to know what sort of things they might like to be involved with.
Jim is keen to start work on the new path as soon as possible, although we will be suggesting that he waits for the results of any inspections of the hedge site. They may be required to replant the hedge, which will affect the positioning of the fence. In the meantime if you have a concern about anything happening on the Estate please email Jim on Jim.Heroys@loseleypark.co.uk . He will be happy to look into it and get back to you.
We all left the meeting feeling that an exciting new chapter in the Estate’s relationship with the community is just beginning. We welcome this and look forward to developing it in the future.
Young women aged 16 – 19 needed for a University Research Project (£35 gift voucher in return!)
Do you know a young woman aged between 16 and 19 years? Would they be available for an online interview? This is an exciting opportunity to participate in research! I am running a research project to hear from young women their views on the effects of alcohol on health, and in particular on pregnancy, and what steps can be taken pre-pregnancy to prevent this. The Interview session will take place online via MS Teams and last about 60 minutes. Participants will receive a £35 gift voucher following completion of the research interview session. Gift vouchers will be sent to participants via email within a week of the interview session. Click here for more information.
Interested? Contact me, Kemi Akagwu via email: o.akagwu@surrey.ac.uk or by sending a text message to 07934 548435 to learn more about how to participate.
Take part in a University of Surrey Paid Research Project!
Psychology researchers at the University of Surrey are seeking 7-10-year-old children and their parent/guardian to participate in paid research (£50 voucher). The study involves a presurvey and a lab session at the University of Surrey (travel costs reimbursed). For more information click here.
Volunteers needed for a university study which aims to reduce injury from falls amongst older people
Silas Purja, a research postgraduate in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Surrey, is conducting a study “Investigating the Effect of Floor Stiffness on Standing and Walking Movement in Healthy Younger and Older Adults“. The research is being conducted to help improve safety and prevent injuries from falls in older adults.
He is looking for volunteers particularly in the 65+ age group, but also anyone aged 18+. The study involves walking and balancing on flooring of different hardnesses whilst being monitored. The session, in the Duke of Kent building on the Stag Hill Campus, lasts for approximately 2 hours. A parking permit is available together with a small payment of £10.
If you would be interested in volunteering please email Silas at sp00447@surrey.ac.uk Aside from helping with the project itself its quite interesting to see the experimental set-up and the visualisation of the data collected.
For more information if you are 65+ please click here
For more information if you are 18+ please click here
