Discover Britain's Wonderful Wildlife at the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey
Having been born and raised in Surrey I find it hard to comprehend why it has taken me so long to find the time to stop in at the British Wildlife Centre. Situated less than five miles away, down the A22 in Newchapel, near Lingfield in Surrey, the centre is less than ten minutes away by car, and I have often made a note to pop in the next time I am passing.
Well after many years, last weekend I finally indicated left and drove straight in, and had a wonderful time spending the afternoon in the company of some of the most wonderful wildlife that Britain has to offer.
From bats to badgers, squirrels to snakes, even industrious honey bees and varied rats, all of whom had me fascinated and captivated for the afternoon. 
The British Wildlife Centre was started in 1997 by David Mills. David originally had a successful herd of pedigree Jersey cows on the site that is now the wildlife centre, supplying rich milk and cream of the Venn herd of Jerseys to local homes and businesses.
In 1994 David ceased farming in order to realise a second dream of setting up a centre to educate people about our native wildlife - and in 2000 the Centre was opened to the public, with the objective to help people learn more about our native wildlife, in the hope that they too will want to protect it for future generations to enjoy.
As a privately owned organisation the vast majority of profits are ploughed back into improving the accommodation for animals, on breeding programmes, habitat conservation and providing the best experience possible for the Centre visitors.
What we loved about our visit was the fact that all of the animals were in remarkable enclosures. The network of tunnels and tubes, bedrooms and burrows available to each species was nothing short of perfect. The animals had the choice to run around many routes and exercise often, with hideaways readily available for those that chose not to interact with use humans.
In the nocturnal building we were able to experience the animals moving about their 'night' dimly lit by a glow of the artificial moon. And when we enquired about what happened to their day we were delighted to discover that during our nights they would have artificial daylight in their homes to encourage a natural sleep. In this way we were able to share in their nocturnal habits without disturbing their routine and keeping them up during our days.
The Edible Doormouse was captivating due to having never seen one 'in person' and realising just how big and fluffy they are. To us, they look nothing like a mouse and have bushy fur covered tails.
The centre is open every weekend and Bank Holiday. For other days, during term times, the Centre accommodate school visits from the region and feel it is very important that children have the opportunity to see and learn more about our own native wildlife, so that they may develop a life-long interest in its protection and survival into the future.
Their philosophy can be summed up as 'Conservation through Education' but this education is not only reserved for children of school age. 
By educating ourselves we can then further protect the wildlife in and around our own gardens, as well as support this wonderful wealth of wildlife in the heart of Surrey.
Entry is a very reasonable £11 per adult, £8 for children (age 3-15) and free for children under 3. Other concessions and group entries are available, along with yearly membership options.
For more information, opening hours and photography opportunities visit www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk