This site is dedicated to the flora and fauna of Banstead Downs as seen through the lens of my camera.
After a decade of wandering over the Downs with my Canon cameras – trusty old cameras now 15-years old – I decided that I should start documenting my walks and to that end I have created this Downs Diary. With the objective of finding and photographing something new on each visit I will attempt to show the changing face of the Downs throughout the year.
I am fortunate that this is my local common, as Banstead Downs is no ordinary common. It is a rare chalk downland habitat that has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It is one of four areas managed by Banstead Commons Conservators. Please visit their website to learn more about their work.
I am not a photographer. It is neither intended that the images on this site are book illustration quality, nor that they are even superb photographs. They merely represent my photographic record of the flora and fauna that I have seen.
I hope you will join me for a virtual walk on Banstead Downs and get as much enjoyment from my posts and images as you would if you were really there with me on the Downs (see location map below).
Neil Gray