Highgate Wood
Encyclopedia
Highgate Wood is a 28 hectare (70 acre) area of ancient woodland in North London
, lying between East Finchley
, Highgate
Village, 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. These are 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 less salubrious name "Gravelpit Wood".
and fauna
in the wood have been managed to varying degrees by humans through the ages.
Predominantly an oak
, hornbeam
and holly
wood, Highgate Wood is also home to more than 50 other tree and shrub species which have self-seeded there. The Wild Service Tree
, a rare deciduous
tree with brown berries, can be found in Highgate Wood. Presence of the Wild Service Tree is commonly taken as an indicator of ancient woodland.
71 different species of bird have been recorded, alongside fox
es, grey squirrels
, at least four (Pipistrelle, Natterer's Bat
, Common Noctule
and the rare Leisler's Bat
) and as many as seven species of bat
, 180 species of moth
, 12 species of butterfly
and 80 species of spider
.
Prehistoric flints have been found in the wood. Excavations on the ridge at the northern end of the wood established that Romano-Britons were producing pottery from local materials between AD 50-100.
An ancient earthwork runs across the wood. This may have formed part of an enclosure for deer during the Medieval period when the Bishop of London
owned the wood. However it could also be a prehistoric boundary or defensive work.
’s hunting estate. Between the 16th and 18th centuries the wood, known then as "Brewer's Fell", was leased to various tenants who managed it by “coppicing with standards”. This involved regularly cutting down areas of Hornbeams to a stump (“coppicing
”) to encourage new growth which could be used for fuel or fencing, whilst allowing oak and other tree species to grow to maturity (“standards”). Remnants of wood banks dividing these areas can still be seen. Many of these oaks were then used by the Crown to construct ships and by the Church to construct buildings.
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 and has been owned and managed by the Corporation ever since.
paths were laid, ornamental trees were planted and dead wood was assiduously removed and burned. Highgate Wood was managed more as an urban park than ancient woodland. In 1968 the Conservation Committee of the London Natural History Society expressed its concern at the planting of exotic conifers as being inappropriate for ancient woodland. As a consequence of this protest the planting programme was halted and has not been continued.
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 dead wood is allowed to decay ‘’in situ’’ - to the great benefit of saprotrophic fungi and a wide range of invertebrates.
are a Local Nature Reserve
, designated as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. Highgate Wood is also listed as one of only eight Green Heritage Sites in London.
As well as a football pitch and a cricket
field, Highgate Wood has a children’s playground, a café and an information centre.
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.
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
, lying between East Finchley
East Finchley
East Finchley is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, in north London, and situated north-west of Charing Cross. Geographically it is somewhat separate from the rest of Finchley, with North Finchley and West Finchley to the north, and Finchley Central to the west.- History :The land on which...
, Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
Village, and Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
. It was originally part of the ancient Forest of Middlesex
Forest of Middlesex
The Forest of Middlesex was an ancient woodland covering much of the county of Middlesex, England that was north of the City of London and now forms the northern part of Greater London. A path was cut through the forest for the creation of Watling Street. At its ancient extent the forest stretched...
which covered much of London, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
and Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and was mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
. It lies in the London Borough of Haringey
London Borough of Haringey
The London Borough of Haringey is a London borough, in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of three former boroughs. It shares borders with six other London boroughs...
, but is owned and managed by the City of London Corporation.
The London Borough of Haringey contains four ancient woods. These are Highgate Wood, Queen's Wood
Queen's Wood
Queen's Wood is a 21 hectare area of ancient woodland in North London, abutting Highgate Wood and lying between East Finchley, Highgate Village, Muswell Hill and Crouch End...
, Coldfall Wood
Coldfall wood
Coldfall Wood is an ancient wood in Muswell Hill, North London. It covers an area of approximately 14 hectares and is surrounded by the St. Pancras and Islington Cemetery, the East Finchley public allotments, and the residential roads Creighton Avenue and Barrenger Road...
and Bluebell Wood
Bluebell Wood, London
Bluebell Wood in the London Borough of Haringey is a small remnant of one of the ancient woodlands of London. It is situated at the end of Winton Avenue and is bordered by Muswell Hill golf course, Winton Avenue and allotments. It is open at all times and is a popular place for local people to walk...
. Highgate Wood is shown on the Ordnance Survey map of Middlesex in 1886 more or less in its present formation, but known by the less salubrious name "Gravelpit Wood".
Flora and fauna
The floraFlora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
in the wood have been managed to varying degrees by humans through the ages.
Predominantly an oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, hornbeam
Hornbeam
Hornbeams are relatively small hardwood trees in the genus Carpinus . Though some botanists grouped them with the hazels and hop-hornbeams in a segregate family, Corylaceae, modern botanists place the hornbeams in the birch subfamily Coryloideae...
and holly
Holly
Ilex) is a genus of 400 to 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. The species are evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers from tropics to temperate zones world wide....
wood, Highgate Wood is also home to more than 50 other tree and shrub species which have self-seeded there. The Wild Service Tree
Wild Service Tree
Sorbus torminalis , sometimes known as the Chequer Tree or Checker Tree, is a species of Sorbus native to Europe from England and Wales east to Denmark and Poland, south to northwest Africa, and southeast to southwest Asia from Asia Minor to the Caucasus and Alborz mountains.It is a medium-sized...
, a rare deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
tree with brown berries, can be found in Highgate Wood. Presence of the Wild Service Tree is commonly taken as an indicator of ancient woodland.
71 different species of bird have been recorded, alongside fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es, grey squirrels
Eastern Gray Squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus native to the eastern and midwestern United States, and to the southerly portions of the eastern provinces of Canada...
, at least four (Pipistrelle, Natterer's Bat
Natterer's bat
Natterer's bat is a European bat with pale wings. It has brown fur, also seen on the leg wing membrane, tending to white on its underside...
, Common Noctule
Nyctalus
The bat genus Nyctalus are members of the family Vespertilionidae or sometimes Evening bats. They are distributed in the temperate and subtropical areas of Europe, Asia and North Africa.There are eight species within this genus:...
and the rare Leisler's Bat
Lesser Noctule
The Lesser Noctule or Leisler's Bat is a species of bat belonging to the vesper bat family, Vespertilionidae.-Description:...
) and as many as seven species of bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
, 180 species of moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
, 12 species of butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
and 80 species of spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
.
Human artifacts
An ancient earthwork runs across the wood. This may have formed part of an enclosure for deer during the Medieval period when the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
owned the wood. However it could also be a prehistoric boundary or defensive work.
Ownership
During the Medieval period, the wood was part of the Bishop of LondonBishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
’s hunting estate. Between the 16th and 18th centuries the wood, known then as "Brewer's Fell", was leased to various tenants who managed it by “coppicing with standards”. This involved regularly cutting down areas of Hornbeams to a stump (“coppicing
Coppicing
Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which takes advantage of the fact that many trees make new growth from the stump or roots if cut down. In a coppiced wood, young tree stems are repeatedly cut down to near ground level...
”) to encourage new growth which could be used for fuel or fencing, whilst allowing oak and other tree species to grow to maturity (“standards”). Remnants of wood banks dividing these areas can still be seen. Many of these oaks were then used by the Crown to construct ships and by the Church to construct buildings.
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
Ecclesiastical Commissioners
Ecclesiastical Commissioners were, in England and Wales, a body corporate, whose full title is Ecclesiastical and Church Estates Commissioners for England. The commissioners were authorized to determine the distribution of revenues of the Church of England, and they made extensive changes in how...
at no charge on condition that it was "maintained in perpetuity for the benefit of Londoners". It was renamed Highgate Wood and 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, asphaltAsphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
paths were laid, ornamental trees were planted and dead wood was assiduously removed and burned. Highgate Wood was managed more as an urban park than ancient woodland. In 1968 the Conservation Committee of the London Natural History Society expressed its concern at the planting of exotic conifers as being inappropriate for ancient woodland. As a consequence of this protest the planting programme was halted and has not been continued.
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 dead wood is allowed to decay ‘’in situ’’ - to the great benefit of saprotrophic fungi and a wide range of invertebrates.
Metropolitan importance
Highgate Wood and the adjacent Queen's WoodQueen's Wood
Queen's Wood is a 21 hectare area of ancient woodland in North London, abutting Highgate Wood and lying between East Finchley, Highgate Village, Muswell Hill and Crouch End...
are a Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
, designated as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. Highgate Wood is also listed as one of only eight Green Heritage Sites in London.
Amenities
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
field, Highgate Wood has a children’s playground, a café and an information centre.
Transport and access
Highgate Wood can be reached easily from Highgate stationHighgate tube station
Highgate tube station is a London Underground station on Archway Road, Highgate, not far from Highgate Village in north London. It is on the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line, between Archway and East Finchley, in Travelcard Zone 3....
on the Northern Line
Northern Line
The Northern line is a London Underground line. It is coloured black on the Tube map.For most of its length it is a deep-level tube line. The line carries 206,734,000 passengers per year. This is the highest number of any line on the London Underground system, but the Northern line is unique in...
of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
. It is adjacent to the A1 road and is situated approximately 6 miles (10 km) north of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
, well inside London's metropolitan area.
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