Space to Visit

Highgate Wood is a 28 hectare (70 acre) area of ancient woodland in North London. The Wood came into the Corporation of London’s care in 1886. At the ceremony held to mark this occasion, the Lord Mayor declared Highgate Wood ‘an open space for ever’, something for which subsequent generations of users – both human and animal – have cause to be grateful. Originally the area formed part of the Ancient Forest of Middlesex, mentioned in the Domesday Book, which once covered much of London, Hertfordshire and Essex. Predominantly an oak and hornbeam wood, it is also home to numerous other tree and shrub species which have self-seeded there. Small areas are fenced off to encourage natural regeneration. The plant and animal species found in the area today have evolved naturally since the last ice age. The bird population has increased dramatically in recent years, both in type and number. Some 70 different species have been recorded, alongside the foxes, grey squirrels, five species of bat, 180 species of moth, 12 species of butterfly and 80 species of spider. As well as a football and cricket field, Highgate Wood offers visitors a supervised children’s playground, a pleasant café and an information centre with booklets, newsletters and trail guides.