A major restoration project will transform South London's largest nature reserve into a pioneering wildlife sanctuary, Kingston Council has announced. The £500,000 scheme at Tolworth Court Farm Fields will restore historic wetlands across the 104-acre site, with funding secured from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Mayor's Rewild London Fund. Plans include creating new ponds and wet grasslands where the Hogsmill River once flowed before being redirected in the 1960s. A wheelchair-accessible boardwalk will ensure visitors can still enjoy the restored habitat.
The project aims to boost flood protection and climate resilience while creating diverse wildlife habitats. Cows and pigs will be introduced to graze the land, improving soil health and plant diversity across the seven-field site. Citizen Zoo, which is partnering with the council and The Community Brain on the project, highlighted the reserve's potential: "Despite being home to ancient hedgerows, a locally significant population of brown hairstreak butterflies and a small fragment of wetland, [Tolworth Court Farm Fields] is far from reaching its ecological potential.".
"Our shared vision is to establish a dynamic, mixed-mosaic nature reserve that nurtures a more diverse and abundant wildlife population. Through innovative rewilding measures inspired by rural projects such as mixed grazing regimes, we aim to restore and enhance the site's ecological balance while honouring its rich cultural heritage.". The ambitious scheme represents one of London's largest urban rewilding initiatives to date.
