Local Wildlife Site

Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

Hutchinson's Bank and Frylands Wood

Borough: Croydon

Grade: Metropolitan

Access: Free public access (part of site)

Area: 36.16 ha

Description

This site includes the nature reserve run by the London Wildlife Trust, as well as Frylands Wood – owned and run by the Scout Association. The Trust’s reserve is made up of three areas; Hutchinson’s Bank, Chapel Hill and Threecorner Grove. This extensive site occupies part of a dry chalk valley: Hutchinson’s Bank is on a steep grassy slope; Frylands Wood and Threecorner Grove comprise ancient oak-hazel woodland with areas of yew and birch; Chapel Bank consists of an area of ancient woodland, scrub and chalk grassland.There is free public access to the Trust-managed areas, but none to Frylands Wood. Volunteer management workdays at Hutchinson’s Bank and Chapel Hill are held on the 2nd and 3rd Sundays of the month; meet at the junction of Featherbed LaneFarleigh Dean Crescent, Addington at 10.30 (call 020 7261 0447 for further details).

Wildlife

Hutchinson's Bank supports a rich variety of grasses and herbs, including quaking-grass, upright brome, meadow oat-grass, salad burnet, sainfoin, hairy St John's-wort and the rare plants man orchid and greater yellow-rattle. Scrub includes dogwood, wild privet and wayfaring-tree. At Chapel Bank are found several woodland orchids, including common twayblade and white helleborine. Threecorner Grove also has a diverse plant community including sweet woodruff and carpets of bluebells in spring. The uncommon moschatel occurs in Frylands Wood.Over 100 species of moth and 28 species of butterfly can be seen here, including the declining species dark green fritillary, grizzled and dingy skippers and small blue. Reptiles are also present, including common lizards and slow-worms.

Facilities

Information (on signs).

View Interactive map

Grizzled skipper butterfly © Mike Waite

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

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