Explore Coldfall Woods

Lovers' Lawn - one of the remnants of Finchley Common (which included Muswell Hill Playing Fields). It is the only surviving area of old grassland which borders the woodland. Red fescue, rough stalked meadow grass and ryegrass are all found here along with some rare species of spider.

The Everglades - Known locally as the Everglades, this seasonal pond has developed due to silt deposits which regularly block the entrance to the culvert where the stream flows beneath the playing fields.

The resulting flooding has enabled new species to establish which favour wetland conditions such as water-cress, yellow flag iris, and brooklime. At very wet times of the year mallards and even a passing heron have been spotted.

Ancient ditch and bank - In the middle ages Coldfall Wood was surrounded by grazing land, on which the commoners could pasture their animals. These animals were not allowed into the Wood as they would eat the young coppiced trees, so a bank was made to protect it with a ditch on the outside.

These ancient defences still survive along the northern and western boundaries. The banks contain pebbles, which are thought to be of glacial origin, making Coldfall Wood an important geological site. The area now occupied by the Wood marks part of the most southerly edge of the ice advance which occurred around 450 thousand years ago.

Reed beds - Reed beds are a natural and very effective solution to dealing with pollution in streams and rivers. The reeds trap and filter out the pollutants, allowing cleaner water to continue through to the stream beyond.

Trees - There are two main species of tree in the woods - oak and hornbeam. Coldfall Wood is officially classified as an ancient semi-natural woodland. The trees are thought to be the direct descendants of wild trees - giving a direct continuity back to the days of the "Wild Wood" some 7000 years ago.

In the past the oak trees were allowed to grow on until they were of sufficient size for felling and the hornbeam was cut on a cycle between 5-20 years. In those days the Wood would have looked very different, as there would have been very few mature trees and very little dead wood.

Wild service tree - A rare tree that is an indicator of ancient woodland. Service trees have a slightly chequered bark and mainly propagate by suckers, so many young trees can be found nearby. In the past the berries were reported to have been used for beer (they still are in Germany and other parts of Europe) and to alleviate stomach problems.

Invertebrates - In 2009 The Friends of Coldfall Wood commissioned an invertebrate survey. The most interesting beetle recorded during the survey was the very rare lesser glow worm (Phosphaenus hemipterus). There have been very few recorded in the whole of the UK and until now none has been recorded north of the River Thames!

Flora - In spring it is possible to see bluebells in the woods - and these are often an indicator of ancient woodland. The coppicing has allowed light to penetrate through to the woodland floor allowing many plants to grow along the banks of the stream including herbs such as lemon balm, wild strawberries and even watercress!

Birds - There are many birds in Coldfall Wood including two types of woodpecker - The great spotted and green woodpecker. Parakeets and butterflies love to fly down the stream and there are nesting boxes for owls and roosting boxes for bats.

Mammals - Foxes can regularly be seen in the woods at dusk and early morning and there have also been reports of hedgehogs and the rumour of sightings of a muntjac deer.
The Friends of Coldfall Wood helped to put up roosting boxes for bats.

Coppicing - Coppicing is the term given to the practise of cutting back trees such as hornbeam to enable them to regenerate and produce new growth.

This ancient practise was a method of woodland management practiced in Coldfall Wood possibly from Roman times onwards. The wood was used for building houses and ships and also for producing fuel - the name "Col" possibly referring to the charcoal which was made there. In addition a "fall" is an old name indicating an area within a wood that has just been coppiced - i.e the trees have just "fallen".