Old Park Wood
Possibly the most varied piece of woodland in Middlesex, Old Park Wood is an ancient woodland teeming with wildlife.
The highlight of the wood is the abundance of flowers in spring. Bluebells form a stunning carpet, along with yellow archangel, lesser celandine, wood anenome and the uncommon coralroot bittercress. Golden saxifrage and marsh marigolds grow on stream banks and around the pond. The pond is also important for dragonflies and amphibians. The wood is rich in invertebrates and birds, including all three British species of woodpecker. The types of tree change as you walk through the wood due to the change in soil types. For instance birch and oak at the top, giving way to oak and hornbeam, with oak and ash at the bottom of the hill.
Old Park Wood is designated a Site of Special Scientific interest and is owned by the Trust.
The management of the reserve is based on a policy of limited intervention. Some open areas are created and managed in the form of paths and
glades to benefit wildflowers and butterflies, but much of the woodland is left to develop naturally.
