Local Wildlife Site

Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

Littleheath Woods
Borough: Croydon
Grade: Borough Grade I
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 25.71 ha

Description

Littleheath Woods is now a collective name for a number of woods that have grown together over the past 100 years, as well as areas of grassland and a pond. It is owned by the Council and the Friends of Littleheath Woods are involved in its management. The London LOOP crosses the site.

Wildlife

This is an ancient woodland site which is unusual in having a mixture of both oak and sessile oak, as well as their hybrid in close proximity to one another. These tall trees rise above a once coppiced layer of sweet chestnut, rowan and birch and there is much wood anemone, bluebell and greater stitchwort. The pebbles of the blackheath beds are exposed in part and the soil is rather acid to the north. The shrubs are chiefly bramble although areas of rhododendron and laurel have become established. In the southern corner of the wood is a small pond with amphibious bistort and brooklime. There is another pond in the northeast. Meadow grassland occurs to the west, and to the north is an area of acid grassland with several types of fescues, heath grass, cat's-ear and sheep's sorrel.

Facilities

Information; footpaths; horse riding; playground; walking route
No photo yet available for this site

No photo yet available for this site

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More information on GiGL’s SINC dataset can be found here.

Additional information, including other site designations and species recorded onsite and nearby, can be provided in community and client data search reports. Request information here.