Ash Ranges

We soon reached the car park which is but a clearing set aside for that purpose, it is a bit of a mud bath at the best of times and last week was no exception but as we were the only vehicles there we were able to park out of the mire! After a twenty minute walk through Pirbright Common we reached the army place known as Ash Ranges the flag pole was devoid of any red flags so it was safe for walking although we could hear a great deal of gun fire in the distance coming from the shooting ranges, this area is always out of bounds. Ash Range is not a place to walk on your own, and decidedly not if you don't, like myself,have a sense of direction, it is very desolate and has a strange air of foreboding, T.S.Elliots poem, The Waste Land comes to mind!
When we first set out we saw a group of 5 people in the distance plus a horse and rider and that was our only glimpse of humanity during our three hour walk, it would be extremely easy to get lost. Ash Ranges is an extensive area of open dry heathland owned by the MoD. The range danger areas cover 2000 hectares, made up of a mixture of lowland heathland, conifer and broad-leaved woodland, mire, scrub and acid grassland supporting a wide range of fauna and flora. It is a haven for numerous rare plants, invertebrate and reptile species such as sundews and green tiger beetles. A grazing agreement with the MoD has enabled Surrey Wildlife Trust to graze parts of the MoD estate and at one point we came across a large herd of cattle. Ash Ranges also has an interesting valley bog system which we encountered............ not the best of places to walk! At this time of year the ranges are not at their most attractive, most of the area is coloured in various shades of brown, ochre and drab greens with silver birches starkly standing out with their white trunks and branches. There are plenty of broad sandy paths besides boggy muddy ones, steep hills to climb and great views. Thanks to Sara's excellent sense of direction we did manage to find our way back to the main gate although for a time we were somewhat lost and familiar landmarks had disappeared so the walk was somewhat longer than we had intended! It poured with rain towards the end of the walk, at least Roli and Tambi were wearing their bright blue waterproof coats so they remained dry, it makes them easily identifiable especially when at times they are inclined to wander in the wrong direction!