Hampstead Heath Woods

Hampstead Heath Woods
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Path in Ken Wood
LocationGreater London
Grid referenceTQ270875
TQ271870
InterestBiological
Area16.6 hectares
Notification1990
Location mapMagic Map

Hampstead Heath Woods is a 16.6-hectare (41-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden. It is in two separate areas within Hampstead Heath, North Wood between Kenwood House and Hampstead Lane, and the larger Ken Wood, south of Kenwood House.[1][2] It was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1975.[3] It is the only Site of Special Scientific Interest in Camden and is managed by English Heritage.[4]

The site has many old and over-mature trees, and extensive dead wood which provides a habitat for fungi, nesting birds[3] and invertebrates, including the nationally rare jewel beetle Agrilus pannonicus. This type of canopy is uncommon nationally and very scarce in Greater London. The main trees are sessile oak and beech, with a few pedunculate oaks and wild service trees. The shrub layer is dominated by holly and rowan. Many bat species have been found in the area, with the ancient hollow trees on the site thought to support these populations.[5] Next to Ken Wood is a small valley which has soft-rush, six sphagnum species and water horsetail.[1] Sphagnum is rare in London, with bog mosses in this protected area including sphagnum fimbriatum, sphagnum palustre and sphagnum squarrosum.[6][7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Hampstead Heath Woods citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Map of Hampstead Heath Woods". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Ken Wood or Kenwood?". Heath Hands. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  4. ^ "Biodiversity in Camden". Camden Council. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  5. ^ Brook, Theodore S.; Pearce, Huma; Waage, Jeff (19 November 2025). "Behavioural shifts of bats during urban music festivals". Ecological Solutions and Evidence. 6 (4). doi:10.1002/2688-8319.70151. ISSN 2688-8319.
  6. ^ "Kenwood Garden seasonal highlights". English Heritage. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  7. ^ "Geology on Hampstead Heath | Faculty of Mathematical & Physical Sciences". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2026-02-10.

51°34′05″N 0°10′02″W / 51.5680°N 0.16709°W / 51.5680; -0.16709

allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampstead_Heath_Woods