These two adjacent golf courses contain some fine acid grassland, with small areas of woodland and scrub, several wet ditches and a pond.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Fulwell and Twickenham Golf Courses
Borough: Richmond upon Thames
Grade: Borough Grade II
Access: Access on public footpaths only
Area: 83.22 ha
Description
Wildlife
The grassland is mostly mown short, with little in the way of rough'. It contains plants characteristic of acid soils, such as sheep's sorrel, mouse-ear hawkweed and cat's-ear. A few clumps of heather grow in the southern corner of Fulwell Golf Course. The acid grassland supports the small copper butterfly.The pond in the northeast corner of Fulwell Golf Course is home to frogs, newts, water birds, dragonflies and damselflies. Soft rush, yellow iris, great reedmace, water cress and brooklime grow at the water's edge. Broad-leaved pondweed, starwort and white water-lily grow in deeper parts. The localised plant, grass vetchling survives on the banks, where mowers cannot reach it.An area of former allotments is also included in the site. These have been abandoned for some time and have developed into a mixture of bramble scrub and young woodland contrasting with patches of open grassland. Anthills of the yellow meadow ant are present in the grassland, providing food for green woodpeckers often seen flying over the golf course.Facilities
No information available
The club-house at Fulwell Golf Course © Charlotte Williams
Small copper butterfly © Mike Waite
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