Surely the most important addition to our locality, Langley Vale Centenary Wood is the most invisible and hard to find.
In 2014 the Woodland Trust, UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, acquired over 600 acres of land as part of its First World War Centenary project to establish woodland areas in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to remember the millions of lives lost during that conflict. Since then many volunteers have already planted over 180,000 trees.
The woods combine planted forest with open arable and grazing land to encourage wildlife as well as plant life. 59 species of birds have been recorded on the site including red kite and tawny owls. Animals spotted in the woods include five species of bat, yellow necked mouse, and bank vole.
But what makes this woodland unique is its links to World War One. There are three features within the woods that commemorate the lives of those who died in WW1. The first is the Regiment of Trees. Stone soldiers stand in a grid of 80 trees representing the day that Lord Kitchener inspected 20,000 troops on Epsom Downs in 1915. The stone soldiers were carved from Sandstone by Patrick Walls. (More of this in a future article).
And not far away is the Battle of Jutland Memorial Wood planted with 6,097 saplings representing the number of sailors’ lives lost in the 1916 sea battle. There are also 14 huge oak portholes to remember the warships lost during this battle.



Next to the Regiment of Trees a new sculpture by John Merrill is almost complete. Made from 40 tons of Oak and standing six metres high it is based on Paul Nash’s WW1 paintings of devastated trees from WW1. It comprises nine uprights that have been engraved with poems from the war and when finished will provide a quiet place to sit and reflect on the atrocity of war.
The completion of this project has been delayed, due to the current Pandemic. A car park at the top of the site (on Headley Road) has yet to be completed and signage in the area is limited. A bit of effort is therefore required to discover this incredible treasure.


Cross the racetrack to the gallops behind the main course, and you will see ahead of you, across the valley, fields of newly planted trees. Carry on walking across the gallops (taking care look out for fast moving horses before 12 noon) heading south and you should come across Woodland Trust signs. Sadly signposting could be better and will no doubt improve as the project develops but a PDF map of the wood can be downloaded here .
If you have at least a couple of hours to spare and don’t mind walking around two miles each way, you can reach it from any of the car parks on Epsom Downs.
Alternatively, from Langley Vale, walk past the petrol station and by the farm entrance you will find a footpath going up the hill. Take the footpath nearest the field rather than the bridleway used by racehorses. Take the second track on your left (a chalky trail) and you will soon come across The Regiment of Trees. It’s about a 20-minute walk.
In time, access will be much better but it’s well worth a visit before it becomes more popular.
