They include grassland, heathland and woodland and are an important part of the landscape of Waverley. Other commons in the Borough are owned by English Nature and the Ministry of Defence. The Waverley Countryside Rangers look after Waverley-managed common land. Queries should be directed to the Ranger for the area, or Diane Stamp, Countryside Management Officer. The Rangers work in close liaison with the Property, Legal and Planning departments .
All common land has an owner.
The term 'common' doesn't mean it in common ownership or that we all own it. Common land refers to the 'rights' which specific people have, to products of the soil, not ownership of the land. There are 6 types of common rights. These have been granted to specific people known as commoners. The granting of these rights has its origins in our history when the Medieval Lord of the Manor had to accept that one or more of these rights existed.