I have always loved the idea of finding a secret garden, so you can imagine how excited I was to stumble across a secret orchard on Normandy Common.
And it’s not just the secret orchard that makes Normandy Common exciting, it has a whole series of mini-adventures all within easy reach of Normandy Common Play Area.
Will you try street snooker or table tennis? Will you make a den in the woods or splash in the stream? Will you lead an expedition in search of the secret orchard or the wispy woods? The choice is yours!
Normandy Common The Stream and Pond The Wispy Woods It’s a smallish patch of mature woodland with a wild feel. I find it an ideal place to let the children run around and explore. The Secret Orchard The boards say, “All wildlife and visitors can enjoy a variety of true and traditional fruit flavours.” We also saw a mulberry bush, which I knew from the nursery rhyme but had never actually seen. Finding the Woods and Orchard There is a large bend to the right and then a smaller bend to the left and the orchard is up a slight hill and on the right. It is about a five minute walk from the Wispy Woods. The orchard and woods are clearly marked on the car park maps. If it is your first visit, then consider taking a photo of the map with you. 
Normandy Common is a wooded area with an orchid meadow, pond, orchard, woods, various sports areas, and a small adventure play area.
There is a map in each of the car parks that shows you where everything is. The three main areas we visit are below but there are other little areas you can discover for yourself!
The stream flows through the play area next to the car park on the main road. It can flow quite quickly in wet weather and sometimes there are ducks on it. 
The pond is in the woods at the end of the stream on the other side of the road. 
To find the pond, cross Hunts Hill Road (the road the car parks are on). There is a footpath and bridge immediately on your left, which takes you into the woods and then onto Normandy Pond. 
We call the wooded area between the cricket pitch and the orchard the Wispy Woods because some of its enormous and feathery fir trees. 
This is a Traditional Orchard, a conservation area that is being preserved as a habitat for plants and animals. It is planted in grassland and managed in an organic way. 
We visited in September and found pear, apple, plum, and cherry trees. 
Leave the play area and walk over the football pitch towards the red bin. Walk over the bridge and onto the cricket ground until you reach the cricket building. 
Walk across the car park to the woods and take the footpath marked as a Permissive Horse Ride.
Follow this path until you come to the entrance to the Wispy Woods on the left. 
To reach the orchard, keep following this path beyond the woods, ignoring any side paths.
The Adventure Play Area Sports Facilities
Large trees surround Normandy Common Play Area, making it a shady, peaceful place to play. The equipment includes:
a seesaw
There are also plenty of places to play sports:
Visit the Normandy Common and Play Area website
Further Information
Nearest Town: Normandy, Near Guildford and Aldershot Opens: Daily Where to Eat: Bring a picnic. How Long We Spent There: 2 hours Parking: There are two play area car parks on Hunts Hill Road. The first is on the corner with the main road (GU3 2DB). The other is further down Hunts Hill Road (GU3 2DB). Wildlife You Might See: Birds, butterflies, insects, slow worms, snakes, lizards, stag beetles, glow worms, newts, frogs, kingfishers and dragonflies. Information Written: July 2016
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU3 2DB
Cost: Free
Facilities: None but there some picnic tables.
Buggies: Generally buggy friendly but some of the paths can be narrow.
Cost of Parking: Free
Information Checked: January 2024
Ratings
Our visit to Normandy Common and Adventure Play Area in Normandy is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.
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