History and Wildlife
Our History
Waylands Campsite was originally purchased and donated for the use of the Scouts of Deptford in the early 1920’s by Lt Col Sir William Wayland. He was the Mayor of Depford, District Commissioner and later, Member of Parliament.
At the beginning of the Second World War camping was allowed under strict wartime rules. No fires after dark, tents painted with camouflage and woods regularly searched for enemy parachutes. Later the Royal Air Force commandeered the campsite and flew huge barrage balloons on long steel cables to defend nearby Biggin Hill Airport and London from enemy aircraft. The RAF crews slept in a Nissan hut now used as the Warden’s Hut.
The RAF flew Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft from Biggin Hill to protect London. The area was frequently bombed by the enemy and the craters from the explosions can be found for miles around the campsite.
Soon after the end of the war in 1945, the campsite was handed back to the Deptford Scouts and camping resumed.
In 2011, a rearrangement of Scout Districts across South London to work better with the county lines lead to the redistribution of several campsites. During this redistribution Waylands Campsite came under the care of Southwark District Scout Council who run it to this day.
Our Wildlife
Badgers live on the site, but you will be very lucky to see one. They come out at night and can be heard, rooting around in the woods. You may find a badgers poo pot because they are clean animals and all toilet in a particular area.
The site has resident Grey Squirrels, we had previously spotted a pure white one however this has not been seen in a while. We notice their drays high in the trees. We see Rabbits in early mornings, find their pathways in the long grass and their little round droppings. Hedgehogs also live here, eating worms, slugs and snails and the larger beetles, as do our Moles deep under the grass.
Waylands is home to five types of Butterfly and nocturnal Door mice sleep through the day in the tree hollows. Plump, grey pink Wood Pigeons make that soft coo-cooing noise all summer long, the Jays are black, white and pink with a flash of blue. Woodpeckers are heard hammering for bugs in our wood and Owls hooting and hunting at night.
25 different Fungi to be found especially in spring and autumn and none should be touched. Stink worm in the oak woods, Bracket Fungus on the dead Birch while Toadstools can be found on the wet grass. If you look closely at a tree you will find Moss, Lichen, Caterpillars and Beetles. Our campsite is truly full of life for those who look and listen.
The Roe Deer visit the site from time to time often at night and their tracks can be seen in the morning, Get up early and you may see them, or a Fox but both are spooked by any noise and then they are away down the valley.
The valleys surrounding the campsite were carved out at the end of the ice age by melt water are a haven for wildlife. Charles Darwin the naturalist did most of his scientific, studies on the small animals and plants in this area before he published his book Origin of Species. There are footpaths around the site and along the dry valleys where you will find the huge Roman Snail which is edible and its smaller cousin which is much flatter and sometimes brightly banded. The whole are is alive with small birds, Tits, Finches, Wrens, Robins. Blackbirds, Thrushes and Nightingale as wall as the larger Crows, Owls and even Kestrel. Be prepared to walk through fields of Cows and see Sheep and both riding and heavy Horses on neighbouring farms. A short distance away is the North Downs Way and the more ancient Pilgrims Way, traversing the scarp of the North Downs with amazing views almost to the South Coast.
Between April and May the woods are a flowing sea of Bluebells, Hawthorns are in white and pink blossom, and the fresh green Nettles are food for the Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady and Peacock butterfly caterpillars and for us to make nettle tea. In Summer we find cool shade under the ancient Beeches, Oaks and Ash trees for pioneering and adventures.
The sun blessed camping field is kept short but look carefully at the Ferny edges and see where animals come and go. Late summer plants set their fruit, Brambles provide berries for Birds, Mice and Squirrels, and the Holly Blue and Comma butterflies relish their leaves. Beech trees drop their mast (seeds) while acorns and Hazel nuts attract Jays and Woodpeckers. Autumn is a riot of Colour as the trees turn to gold, the leaves drifting into deep banks providing safe warm home for animals hibernating through the winter. Set on a hill the cold Winter winds quickly blows the Waylands trees bare, we see the distinctive shape of each tree and the different colours of their bark and buds. Only the Holly and the Yew trees show dark and leafy in the winter wood. As our Spring Bluebells return the trees are misted in reds and greens as their leaves break bud to announce another exciting year at Waylands.
Thank you to Vicky Andrews for her notes.