Stoke Common

Owned, like Burnham Beeches, by the City of London, Stoke Common heath is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Heathland is very different to grassland or woodland - it did use to be woodland, but it was cleared in prehistoric times. It also used to have a covering of peat that commoners had the right to remove, but that's mostly all gone now, courtesy of a number of slow-burning fires in dry summers; they stopped it from becoming overgrown. And to keep it from becoming overgrown, a local farmer is allowed to graze his cattle - don't be alarmed if you round a thicket and come face to face with a shaggy longhorn.

And in winter, when paths can become waterlogged, Exmoor ponies are brought in to keep things trim.

At 540 acres, it's very similar in size to Black Park and Burnham Beeches - and its half a million visitors annually is also similar to the other two.

But it has a very different range of plants, birds and reptiles, and a completely different feel. And, just like the others, regular visits are recommended to watch the seasons unfold in their own unique way.