A. Records published by Anthony Wootton (Country-Side
1971, 21 456-463 and 572-
574, and XXII, No 6, Spring 1974, 266-271.)
NB: Comments such as '10 years ago' here refer from 1970s.
Hertfordshire
Knebworth railway embankment, 6 females July 1956, 3 females August
1960, none
seen since then
Broxbourne Woods (TL336084, 345079), sparse to numerous in damp grass
and along
rough ride between conifer plantations, early-mid July 1968, 1971-2
[also 1992]
Barwick (TL388192), many at edge of woods and in rough pasture, summer
1971
Banks of Grand Union Canal, Boxmoor, several late July 1972
Great Wood nr Northaw June 1939
Essex
Rayleigh (TQ 811923), 2 in garden nr. railway bank, April-May 1971
apparently
uncommon.
Epping Forest, Nr. Woodford, seen in open spaces in forest, c.1935-9;
suspected
now disappeared [ie in 1970s].
Bucks (selected, with additions from County records)
Hawridge Common, nr Cholesbury (c SP 94/06). June/July 1970, July 1971.
Nr Chilton (c SP 705115), along railway line c 3 years ago (from 1974).
Nr Halton (SP 877076), small colony in scrubland, 1960.
Chartridge (SP 943036 and 948034), several, summer 1972.
Cadsden. SP 823047. 1975.
Concord Woods Nr Wendover. 1976.
Chesham, by boundary wall of the Bury, alongside Lowndes Park, 1.8.73.
Bryants Bottom (SP 8599) about ( mile S of public house, Jul 73.
Chesham Vale, field W side of Francis Wood, and E side of Vale Rd,
5-9.7.74, also 2.7.76.
Chesham, Ley Hill, Cowcroft brickpits (SP986018), 8.8.77.
Coombe Hill, 1977.
Whiteleaf, Brambledean, Jul 77.
Ivinghoe Beacon and Hale Hill. Jul 78.
Chesham, Lower Pednor 4.7.82
Buttler's Hangings (SU 819961), 1979
Dancer's End (SP 902096) 23.10.80
Swain's Wood (SU 739920) 1983
Pitstone Fen (SP 942142)
Middlesex
Harvil Road, between Uxbridge and Harefield, in garden, c. 1916
[Note: During the 1990s I delivered letters asking all modern residents
of Harvil Road to report any glow worms, with no results]
Hanworth, in garden, 1953
Surrey
Box Hill, nr. Burford Bridge, Whole slope of Hill covered with glow-worms,
summer 1915.
Clifton, nr. Crondall, Farnham, hundreds crossing path, several in
room, a few years ago.
Shillinglee, c. 4 miles from Dunsfold, on drive near Parkgate
cottage, near Sussex border, c. 1967.
Godstone station Several on waste ground around station, summer 1971.
Kent
Between Aylesham and Nonington 1963 (by 1971 they had not been seen
in last two
years).
Wrotham, several on slope of N. Downs, for last four years up to 1973.
Cranbrook (TQ 768378), few in grass verge near farm for past 20 years
(1971).
Sussex
Wepham Wood Nr Arundel (TQ04/07) up to July 1970;
Chailey, between Wilding Wood and Markstakes Common (TQ3918), up to
1970;
Ashdown Forest (between TQ440336 and 441335), 10+, July 1968;
Nr Rotherfield, on disused railway track (TQ560315), 2, 1968;
The Crumbles, Langney Point, Eastbourne (TQ6402), pair, 1968;
Steyning, Round Hill (TQ167105), 2 f several hundred yards apart, adjacent
to
footpath, late July 1971;
Southwick Hill, NT land (TQ241077), several f and mating pair, early-late
July
1971; few, late June 1972;
Stoke Down (SU837094), 1f in overgrown chalkpit, July 1973;
Nr Singleton (SU877154), few along edge of forest ride, early July
1972;
B. Sites reported to Robin Scagell
Site Map Location and details if any: f = (glowing)
females
No Ref
Oxon & Bucks
063 SP826027 Windsor Hill, Princes Risborough, Bucks 1991
130 SP828055 Grangelands, Great Kimble, Bucks 50f 1991
057 SP835047 Longdown Hill, Princes Risborough, Bucks 3f 1991
134 SU725973 Beacon Hill, Aston Rowant, Oxon 150f 1991
599 SU766915 Above Turville. 1987-90.
058 SU8187 Homefield Wood, Marlow, Bucks 1991
163 SU8196 Bledlow Ridge, Bucks 1f 1991
135 SU886897 Sheepridge Lane, Flackwell Heath, Bucks 3f 1991
131 SU893918 Gomm Valley, High Wycombe, Bucks 3f 1991
535 SU8985 Cookham - 15 yds from a minor road, 7 or 8 years
ago
136 SU903900 Golf Course, Flackwell Heath 4f 1991
Beds & Herts
027 TL0020 Dunstable Downs, in hedge by London Flying Club
1f 1991
612 TL001183 Dunstable Downs, in NT meadow, 1f 30.7.90 [NB – numerous
elsewhere on Dunstable Downs each year]
030 TL140130 Harpenden, Herts 4f 1991
056 TL162150 Marshall's Heath, Wheathampstead, Herts 6f 1991
Essex
621 TQ?? Thorndon Park, Brentwood - thinly
scattered, about 1989
620 TQ7386 Wat Tyler Country Park
617 TQ793860 Hadleigh Downs, 1 at night, about 1983.
619 TQ8086 Hadleigh Castle Country Park, western end, 1991.
Hants
177 SU740320 Noar Hill, Selborne 2f 1991
Surrey
548 SU8541 Frensham Common, 1960s
605 TQ153502 Old Coach Rd. 15f, 29.7.86; 11f 30.7.87, 4f 2.8.90.
609 TQ166593 Pachesham Park, Leatherhead. 1950s.
572 TQ178527 Box Hill, on path side down from Juniper Top. Several
f, June 1990
576 TQ2561 Banstead Downs, larvae seen 'recently'.
565 TQ337596 Riddlesdown. 70f in 1990
158 TQ385614 Hutchinson's Bank, Addington, Surrey 1991
032 SU842628 Sandhurst, Surrey 14f 1991
037 TQ0148 Pewley Downs Guildford 12f 1991
TQ155655 Hinchley Wood, on footpath
from government offices to station.
Sussex
140 SU8711 The Trundle, Goodwood, Chichester, Sussex 46f
1991
543 SU974128 Bignor Hill, Sussex 20-25 years ago
581 TQ078350 Baynards, on old rly, near old stn. 'Hundreds' in 1990.
597 TQ154256 Blinks Wood, Southwater. 1f 5.7.90.
596 TQ158258 Southwater Country Park 12f, 3.7.90.
566 TQ257113 NW of Devils Dyke, by path from Poynings to dyke, near
base. 1988
580 TQ340085 By side of A27. 27f in 1990.
582 TQ3619 Chalk downland just off road, Wivelsfield Green,
abundant, 9.7.90.
593 TQ543034 Nr Wilmington Long Man, 12f, 23.6.90.
222 TQ8611 Nr Fairlight CG stn, in bracken in Country Park.
20-30, Aug 91.
569 SU875246 Woolbeding Common. 1f, August 1965
Kent
162 TQ740320 Bedgebury Forest, Kent 1991
Middx
132 TQ055867 Old railway, Uxbridge, Middx 37f, 1991 [See notes below]
NOTES
Old railway site, Uxbridge. Anyone interested in investigating this
site is
welcome to do so. As I am studying it quite intensively, it
might be worth
giving me a ring beforehand so that efforts can be coordinated
and I can tell
you how to get there. See Home Page for details of a Glow
worm Walk to this site in 2001.
I have been told of glow worms near the canal bank at Horsenden Hill
near
Perivale. This would be very interesting if it can be confirmed
since this
site is well within the urban area of London. But because of
the urban area
of the site, it is suggested that night time visits are not
made singly.
There may also be glow worms beside railways, canals and rivers throughout
the
capital, but these have not been reported. The larger commons
such as
Wimbledon and Barnes and Richmond Park might be worth searching,
though I
doubt whether there are any on Hampstead Heath. The wild areas
near or
surrounded by railways are also potential sites, particularly
if these are
not well used. Glow worms have always been collectable and would
probably
soon disappear if they were readily seen.
Wootton reported a single glow worm in a garden at Hanworth in 1953
and I have
heard of them in gardens in East Molesey and Carshalton Beeches
since World
War 2. So pockets of glow worms may remain within Greater London,
though the
sites farther afield are more promising. The site at Hinchley
Wood is urgently in need of confirmation.
There is also a site at Nutwood, adjacent to the Barnet Way in Mill
Hill, seen
prior to 1992.