Frensham Great Pond

Address of main car park: Bacon Lane, Churt, Surrey GU10 2QB

Opening times

The car park opens at 8am and closes at 9pm. Charges apply every day, apart from Christmas day. Please note that payment is via RingGo and card payment only.  

Frensham Great Pond is very popular in nice weather. The car park is usually full by 10am so please arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Car park charges

Monday to Sunday Tariffs - New charges come into effect as of 12 June 2023.

The changes below involve the variation of current charges for parking at Frensham Great Pond car park during charging hours (9.00am to 7.00pm):

The car park is closed at 9pm. There is a £75 gate opening charge should you be locked in.

Shield contact details are displayed on the side of the office/cafe complex.

There are disabled parking bays.

RingGo car park details

Payment is by phone (01483 342266), with no pre-booking facility. The location number is 16258. Please download the app and ensure it is working before you visit the site.

Depending on your RingGo account settings, RingGo may make additional charges to you, so please check your settings, so you only pay for the services you require.

Car park charges apply to all, unless you are a National Trust Member in which case you can obtain a free parking ticket by scanning your National Trust membership card at the parking machine located near the Office / Café complex.

If you do not have your National Trust membership card staff on site are unable to assist and so parking will have to be paid for.

Don't park on the road

You can't park on the lanes that access Frensham Great Pond.

The approach road is double yellow lined with no facility to queue or wait. If the car park is full when you arrive please find an alternative place to visit. There is no queuing or waiting on the approach roads, please do not park in the surrounding area. 

Blue-green algae: update

The blue-green algae bloom has cleared and the pond is now open again.

Enjoy the beach but please follow the rules for your safety and check the water quality before taking a dip. Please do not swim outside the marked areas as it is prohibited. No dogs allowed on the beach or in the water.

Current bathing water quality at Frensham Great Pond

Frensham Great Pond is a registered bathing water and is monitored by the Environment Agency during the bathing season, between May and September. See water samples and more about the Bathing water quality for Frensham Great Pond on the Environment Agency website.

Our current water quality classification for 2023 is Excellent.

In summer months the water has previously been affected by high levels of blue-green algae which can be hazardous for users. If high levels of algae are found during the bathing season, the pond may be closed. This is for your own safety. Swallowing the water or algal scum can cause stomach upsets or more serious health problems. Contact with water containing high amounts of blue green algae can cause skin irritation. Do NOT ignore warning signs and do not be tempted to bathe or paddle under these conditions.

Should you notice an abnormal build-up of algae at the pond, you can report this to the Environment Agency's Environment Incident Hotline on 0800 807060.

Can I have a BBQ?

No BBQs are not allowed on site

Can I have a fire or bonfire?

No, fires or bonfires are not allowed on the site. There is a high risk of wildfires due to the heathland nature of the site.

Can I swim?

Yes but only in the two designated areas.

Can I use an inflatable?

Only small children's inflatables are permitted.

Can I use a kayak/paddleboard?

No watercraft of any type are permitted.

Can I camp or stay overnight?

No.

Are the toilets open? 

Yes, unless they are subject to maintenance.

What time do the toilets open/close?

Toilets are open from approximately 08:00 - 21:00 in line with the car park opening and closing times.

Is the cafe open and what does it sell? 

It is open all year round, sells hot and cold drinks, ice-creams, burgers, bacon rolls, chips, cakes, buckets and spades.

For cafe enquiries please ring 01420 473239  

Does the cafe take cash/card payments?

Yes

Are there bins on site?

Bins are provided in the Great Pond car park however these can fill up quickly at peak times. If the bins are full please take your litter home with you. Litter Enforcement Officers regularly patrol the site and issue Fixed Penalty Notices to those found dropping litter.

Are dogs allowed?

Dogs are not permitted on the beach areas. Elsewhere, to protect ground nesting birds, dogs must be kept on a short lead between the months of March and August.

Please pick up after your dogs. Bins are provided in the Great Pond car park.

Where can I ride my horse/bike?

Horses and bicycles are permitted on bridleways only, marked on waymarkers with blue arrows. Maps are available on the side of the visitors centre. Please note that the site is sandy by nature and maybe difficult to traverse on a bicycle.

Can I use a metal detector?

Metal detecting is not allowed anywhere on site.

Can I fish?

Fishing is available for members of Farnham Angling Society only. Day tickets are not available.

Can I fly my drone?

It is against the site byelaws to operate remote controlled aircraft on Frensham Common.

What are the fenced off areas close to the two beaches?

These are conservation areas and access is not permitted.

We usually lead practical conservation tasks all year round with the help of the Waverley Countryside Volunteers.  

Find out more about Waverley Countryside Volunteers.

Public Transport: Stagecoach bus route no 19 from Farnham Station to Haslemere Station stopping opposite Frensham Pond (approximately hourly service). NB: Does not run Sundays.

Frensham Great Pond and Common covers roughly 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of attractive countryside and is owned by the National Trust. Most of the land is managed by Waverley Borough Council.

The Common is made up of a large area of heathland, together woodland, and two large ponds, known as Frensham Great and Little Ponds, which were built in the Middle Ages to provide fish for the Bishop of Winchester's estate.

The site is a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and includes dry heath, wet heath, open water, reedbeds, alder carr and woodland. The heathland is an internationally rare habitat and the common supports a wealth of associated wildlife including sand lizards, Dartford warblers, nightjars, and unusual plants such as the insectivorous sundew.

Site management plan

For more information about the site and how we manage the site, you can request a copy of our site management plan.

Please email parks&countryside@waverley.gov.uk

Contact us

Call

For more information please call 01483 523394 during the week.

Over the weekends in the summer months, you can also call 01252 792416.

Email

You can email parks&countryside@waverley.gov.uk