Local Wildlife Site

Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

Mill Hill Old Railway Nature Reserve
Borough: Barnet
Grade: Borough Grade II
Access: Access at limited times
Area: 2.28 ha

Description

This is a long, narrow strip of wildlife habitat on the course of a railway abandoned in 1964. Most of the site is now wooded, with small glades of rough grassland and tall herbs. Most of the site is managed as a nature reserve by the Barnet Group of the London Wildlife Trust.

Wildlife

The woodland canopy includes oak, sycamore, field maple, wild cherry, silver birch, alder and crack willow. There is a dense shrub layer of hawthorn, blackthorn and grey willow. The grassland is dominated by false oat-grass, with a good range of wild flowers. These include burnet saxifrage and great burnet, the latter a rare species usually associated with uncultivated grassland. Stands of tall herbaceous plants include rosebay willowherb and creeping thistle. The site supports a large population of slow-worms.

Facilities

London Wildlife Trust organise regular walks through the site.
Mill Hill Old Railway Nature Reserve © London Wildlife Trust

Mill Hill Old Railway Nature Reserve © London Wildlife Trust
Mill Hill Old Railway Nature Reserve © London Wildlife Trust

Mill Hill Old Railway Nature Reserve © London Wildlife Trust

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

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