Local Wildlife Site

Wildlife

The site comprises a variety of formal and informal amenity areas. Mature oaks on the perimeter and running through the site mark the lines of former hedgerows. Further native hedges occur on the edges of the park.Near the western side of the park there is a nature area. This consists of a mixture of native and non-native planted trees: hornbeam, oak, false-acacia, wild cherry, silver birch, rowan, Scots pine and other conifers. The vegetation between is allowed to grow uninhibited.The southern half of the Walled Garden is managed as a formal area, but much of the northern half is natural. This area includes such features as a circular brick pond, a wildlife pond and a series of “kitchen sink” ponds, log-piles and nesting boxes. There are beds devoted to herbs and to plants that resist drought. The garden is run organically. Hedgelaying is practised here as a demonstration of the craft.Nearby is a large decaying oak trunk, which is good for insects. The Manor House gardens surround the house on two sides and are bordered with a belt of trees and shrubs. These include a number of horticultural specimens that are rare in London. Butterflies such as common blue and small skipper can be seen here, along with day-flying moths such as narrow-bordered five-spot burnet and burnet companion. The area is rich in grasshoppers, ground beetles, solitary bees and other unusual insects. Many birds may be seen and heard, including dunnock and green woodpecker. Muntjac deer lie in the long grass, and the relatively rich plant life includes tansy, narrow-leaved ragwort, hairy sedge and hard rush.

Facilities

Information; cycle paths; playground; recycling facilities.