A COMMUNITY-WIDE effort is under way to buy a precious woodland site to save it from possible development.
A 110-acre stretch of Oldpark Woods was advertised for sale for £500,000 last month "for timber-harvesting opportunities".
Now for-sale boards have gone up around the site off Gravelly Hill, near Caterham Viewpoint.
It follows decades of community resistance amid threats to develop the picturesque ancient site.
In the past, local campaigners have successfully fought off plans for a golf course, an eight-bedroom mansion and a trackway through the woodland.
Tom Bennington, from nearby Woodland Way, has formed the Oldpark Woods for Caterham Facebook group to drum up a local fundraising campaign to try and preserve the site.
He said: "The loss of the woods would be a complete disaster for everyone in Caterham, not just those who live close to it."
He added any thinning out of trees on such an ancient site would be contentious enough.
But he fears it could also open the way for a controversial development.
He added: "We want to preserve its unique beauty for future generations. Your community needs your support."
Pledges of financial support, including name and contact details - not cash at this stage - can be sent to oldparkwoods@btinternet.com.
