Cannon Hill Common first opened to the public in 1927. It was previously part of an 18th century house and estate, demolished towards the close of the following century. Although not technically a common’ as such, the site has a variety of wildlife habitats including woodland, meadows, two waterbodies (a temporary pond and a narrow lake), and a bird sanctuary on the site of the former house.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Cannon Hill Common
Borough: Merton
Grade: Borough Grade I
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 15.22 ha
Description
Wildlife
The woodland is dominated by oak trees with many other species present, including mature ash, sycamore, horse chestnut, large-leafed lime and hawthorn. Some of the trees date from the original landscaping of the estate. Several veteran oaks are found among the parkland habitats of the site. Two meadows (one to the north of the site, one to the south) have a good range of common wildflowers in the spring and summer. The narrow lake in the east of the site supports a good range of aquatic vegetation, such as soft hornwort and spiked water milfoil. The lake also has a few waterfowl, including coot and moorhen, as well as frogs, toads and dragonflies.Facilities
Fishing.
Cannon Hill Common © London Wildlife Trust
Cannon Hill Common © London Wildlife Trust
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