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Post 13
Thick leaf litter covers the ground over most of Old Redding Nature Reserve, but spoil from the ditch that has been dug to direct water into the new pond is piled up on the right hand side of the path just behind you. Looking at this you see rounded pebbles in a sandy clay substrate: this is the layer known as the Claygate Beds, which sits on top of the London Clay and creates a very different, fast draining soil. Looking through the trees to the right you can see the busy A409 Common Road. The road is clearly higher than the ground level in the reserve. This is because in the 19th century enormous quantities of Claygate Beds material was removed from Harrow Weald Common, mainly for roadmaking. The mixture of gravel, sand and clay packs down into a good hard, fast draining surface that was used for roads before the advent of tarmac. Since the area was common land there was no legal authority to stop the extraction until parliament finally acted in 1899 and gave local authorities powers to regulate activities on common land.
Some way further on you reach the northern limit of Old Redding Nature Reserve and a set of steps up onto Common Road. Ignore the steps and instead turn sharp right to follow the boardwalk as it heads southwest.
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