This site is made of two separate ancient woodlands, and as their names suggest, one is larger than the other. They were formerly part of a single, much larger wood, and consequently have similar trees and other species.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Big Wood and Little Wood
Borough: Barnet
Grade: Borough Grade I
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 8.39 ha
Description
Wildlife
Pedunculate oak is the dominant canopy tree, with ash, sessile oak, hornbeam and wild cherry. The shrub layer consists largely of old coppiced hazel, with common and Midland hawthorns, holly, field maple, crab apple and guelder-rose. There is an exceptionally large population of wild service-tree here, with over 100 specimens counted in Big Wood in the mid-1990s.The ground flora is dominated by bramble and ivy, with frequent bluebell. Other ancient woodland indicator plants include wood anemone, remote and wood sedges, ramsons and solomon's-seal, though the latter may be a garden escapee here. Breeding birds include tawny owl, nuthatch, treecreeper, bullfinch and spotted flycatcher.Facilities
Open-air theatre (Little Wood); Information (on signs). The Dollis Valley Greenwalk passes through the woods.
Roosting tawny owls © Nigel Reeve
Bluebells at Big Wood © Susan Osborn
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