News from the Commons
12th January 2026
Welcome to our monthly News from the Commons, sharing updates on our conservation work, volunteering opportunities, fun and other adventures
A huge belated Happy New Year to you all and what a start it has been already with snow, ice and storms, but the bad weather won’t stop us (well not for long!).
Works in progress!
We are cracking on with our winter work programme and have already made great progress on the roadside edges of Bishops Down Road, removing two large dying ash trees and poor quality smaller trees to open up the edges, allowing in more light.
The Princess Anne oak is undergoing some tender loving care, thoroughly deserving of a tree planted around 1700! Minor works will ensure that this elderly lady remains in our landscape for many more years to come.
Queen Anne oak, work in progress.
We head to Victoria Grove on Tunbridge Wells Common next, implementing the recommendations of a specialist tree survey report. The objectives of the report were to ensure that our Grove is both safe and healthy, and as stewards of the Commons it is very important that we do everything possible to take care of its most important features. Contractors will therefore be carrying out small safety mitigation works on the mature trees and thinning out the lower/younger row to ensure that the remaining trees have the space and nutrients to grow into the future. The next step is the fun bit, planting some new succession trees within the existing gaps, with lots of research time currently being dedicated to selecting the correct species and variety.
Victoria Grove
Next stop Rusthall Common
Next week our contractors will be parked up on Rusthall Common, focusing on the area around Eales Terrace/Upper Street and the area around the path leading through these houses up to the Rusthall Road. Here contractors will be removing dead and dying ash and derelict holly to make the area safe and to enhance the views through to Bidborough and the North Downs. Importantly we will be maintaining the privacy, peace and tranquility for the surrounding homes, so please don’t panic.
On Saturday we saw a record breaking 22 volunteers turn out for our volunteering session on Rusthall Common, litter picking and tackling an invasive form of honeysuckle that was quite literally invading! However, I think we’d all agree that the best bit was the tea, coffee, cake and lovely chat at the end to celebrate all of our hard work.
Our fabulous volunteers enjoying a well earned rest!
And while our work programme with contractors and volunteers remains jam packed, I mustn’t forget to mention a very important meeting on the 24th January at 4pm in the Camden Centre. The Friends of the Commons will be providing an update on the opportunity to bid for the Commons to put it into community ownership. A very hot topic at the moment, so do pop along if you can.
