Hazeley Heath
Hazeley Heath is one of our largest tracts of lowland heathland and is a Special Protected Area
Location
Bracknell Lane, Hartley Wintney
Closest postcode: RG27 8TS
View Hazeley Heath on Google Maps
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Features
- free parking in layby opposite Arrow Lane
- paid parking at Hartley Wintney's central car park
- surfaced and boardwalk paths - disabled access limited to gravel paths
- cattle grazing during summer
- WW2 concrete structures used for military training and testing
- Site of Special Scientific Interest, awarded by Natural England
The southern section of the heath is owned and managed by Hart District Council and the northern section is owned by the RSPB.
Wildlife
Top 10 species found at Hazeley Heath:
- Dartford warbler
- woodlark
- nightjar
- grayling butterfly
- silver studded blue butterfly
- woodcock
- stonechat
- bog asphodel
- heath spotted orchid
- adder
Cattle grazing project
17 Belted Galloway cattle are now back onsite.
Please adhere to the signage on site and ensure:
- all gates are closed
- dogs are kept under close control
- dog waste and litter are put in the bin
- cattle are not fed or touched
Emergency contact number: 01252 774040
Conservation grazing plays a key role in maintaining rare habitats like heathland. Amongst many other benefits, grazing is a sustainable way of controlling aggressive species which would otherwise dominate areas through scrub encroachment. Working in partnership with the RSPB, the Council re-introduced cattle grazing to the site following a five-year consultation period.
Visitors can use the grazing zone map to find out on which sections of the heath cattle are present. This area uses invisible fencing technology, meaning there is no permanent fencing. The technology works using GPS tracking devices on the cows' necks, emitting a sound when too close to the boundary line.
As cattle will not be freely grazing across the whole site, visitors will have the option to avoid the cows completely. You can find the precise spot where the cows are onsite by scanning the QR codes on site posters that will link you to the NoFence mapping system.