A walk among ancient hedgerows and boundary trees

Event Information

Golders Hill Park contains some wonderful remnants of old parish boundaries, mostly in the form of veteran oaks, at least one of which is probably 400 years old. Meanwhile, across North End Way, Hampstead Heath Extension contains remnants of field boundaries and hedgerows from when this area was farmland, from the 17th c until it was acquired as a public space in 1907.

Some of the hedgerows are likely remnants of ancient woodland, with typical ‘indicator’ species like Wild Service tree, Field Maple, and Small-leaved Lime. There are also remnants of veteran hazel coppices. The hedgerows harbour a diversity of invertebrates, birds and small mammals, as well as wildflowers. There are many spots on this walk where it is hard to remember you are only half a mile from a busy main road and bus terminus – it feels more like it must have looked 150 years ago.

Contributors

Peter Coles

Peter Coles is a writer, photographer, and Visiting Tutor at Goldsmiths, University of London. One of the co-founders of the Urban Tree Festival, Peter also co-founded Morus Londinium (with the Conservation Foundation) to document and preserve London’s mulberry tree heritage, winning a 2021 European Heritage / Europa Nostra Heritage Award. Peter regularly leads walks that combine veteran trees with local history. He is author of Mulberry, published by Reaktion Books (2019). The UTF team would like to thank David Humphries, Trees Management Officer, Hampstead Heath, for his advice and support.

Organisation

Project Director, Morus Londinium. www.moruslondinium.org

This walk is hosted by CPRE London.