Highgate Wood
Highgate Wood | |
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Corporation of London | |
Open | daylight hours |
Highgate Wood is a 28 hectare (70 acre) area [1] of ancient woodland in North London, lying between East Finchley, Highgate and Muswell Hill. It was originally part of the ancient Forest of Middlesex which covered much of London, Hertfordshire and Essex and was mentioned in the Domesday Book. It lies in the London Borough of Haringey, but is owned and managed by the City of London Corporation.
The London Borough of Haringey contains four ancient woods: Highgate Wood, Queen's Wood, Coldfall Wood and Bluebell Wood. Highgate Wood is shown on the Ordnance Survey map of Middlesex in 1886 more or less in its present formation, but known by the name "Gravelpit Wood".
Flora and fauna
The flora and fauna in the wood have been managed to varying degrees by humans through the ages.
Predominantly an
71 different species of bird have been recorded, alongside
.History
Human artefacts
Prehistoric flints have been found in the wood. Excavations on the ridge at the northern end of the wood established that
An ancient earthwork runs across the wood. This may have formed part of an enclosure for deer during the
In the 1880s, the last tenant gave up his lease. In 1886, the City of London Corporation acquired what was by then known as Gravelpit Wood (so named in 1863 on account of a gravel pit used to source gravel for roads in the district) from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners at no charge on condition that it was "maintained in perpetuity for the benefit of Londoners". It was renamed Highgate Wood; it has been owned and managed by the Corporation ever since.
Care and management
The City of London Corporation's maintenance of the wood was not always sympathetic to its historical origins. On acquisition,
More recently management practices have been much more sympathetic to the Wood's indigenous flora and fauna. Certain areas have been fenced to allow the regeneration of the vegetation free of trampling, and
Nature reserve
Highgate Wood is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.[2] It is also listed as one of only eight Green Heritage Sites in London.[3]
Facilities and access
Highgate Wood can be reached easily from Highgate station on the Northern line of the London Underground. It is adjacent to the A1 road and is situated approximately 6 miles (10 km) north of Charing Cross, well inside London's metropolitan area.
As well as a football pitch and a cricket field, Highgate Wood has a children’s playground, a café and an information centre.
References
- ^ "City of London Highgate Wood". City of London. 8 January 2010. Archived from the original on 27 March 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
- ^ "Parkland Walk, Queen's Wood and Highgate Wood". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2006. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ English Heritage - Green Heritage Microsite
Sources
- City of London website on Highgate Wood
- The Natural History of Haringey's Ancient Woodlands, by David Bevan
- Wild Service Tree
- "Distribution and Status of Bats in the London Area", Mickleburgh (1987)
- Middlesex: 012 Ordnance Survey 1:10,560: Epoch 1
External links
- Highgate Wood pages on the City of London website
- Highgate Wood on the VisitWoods website