Russia Dock Woodland is a linear park created in 1980, with belts of mixed woodland and scrub, containing a high diversity of mostly native species. Russia Dock Woodland is owned by the Council and managed with assistance from the Trust for Urban Ecology, who run volunteer work days. The site is a proposed Local Nature Reserve. It is also used by the Southwark Health Walks project as part of a Walking the Way to Health (WHI). In 2022 the site was extended to include Metropolitan Open Land along Legado Mews and Salters Road in the north east, which is contiguous with vegetation along Beatons Walk.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Russia Dock Woodland
Borough: Southwark
Grade: Borough Grade I
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 10.31 ha
Description
Wildlife
Areas of grassland which have been sown with wildflower mixes, and a linear water feature connecting a series of ponds and lakes. The latter is currently dry in places as the water level was reduced for safety reasons, but still contains a good variety of wetland vegetation. Breeding birds include sedge warbler at its only Southwark site, reed warbler, reed bunting, mallard and moorhen. Kingfishers and mute swans are seen occasionally. The range and interconnectivity of habitats are known to support a good range of species, including the specially protected great crested newt, along with other amphibians, hedgehogs, and reptiles. Its linear shape connects to the River Thames in the north to Greenland Dock to the south, making it an important foraging and commuting route for bats. A triangular-area of semi-mature native woodland comprising abundant field maple is located along Salters Road, and will be contiguous with a proposed park comprising amenity grassland, scattered native trees and hedgerows.Facilities
Car parking; disabled facilities
No photo yet available for this site
Feedback
Have a question or a comment for this site, or notice anything missing or out of date? Please contact us.