Park of the week

83. Bluebell wood

This hidden gem is a triangular fragment of oak and hornbeam forest in Bounds Green. It’s at the end of a suburban street, sandwiched between houses, allotments and a golf course.  It’s designated as ancient woodland and is the last remaining piece of what was a much larger woodland called Tottenham Wood. In 1619, this covered 157 hectares, about the size of eight football pitches. The forest had been part of the Bishop of London’s estate and there’s a pronounced ditch to the north of the wood, which would have been a way of keeping the commoners’ animals out of the forest.

Later in the seventeenth century the wood was enclosed as a private hunting park by King James I. By the end of the eighteenth century the wood had become cultivated and meadow land. In the early nineteenth century the land was converted to a dairy farm, with Bluebell Wood the only part of the farm to remain wooded. The farm was eventually sold to Haringey Golf Course. It’s maintained by the Friends of Bluebell Wood.

We visited at the wrong time of year for bluebells, but apparently there are no native bluebells there. Any that you can see are hybrids that have spread from neighbouring gardens. Trees in the wood include oaks, hornbeam and the ancient woodland indicator species. wild service. What might a Wild Service at FRS look and sound like?

The colours of nature are soothing and it’s been suggested that people relax best while seeing greens and blues. We can try ‘forest bathing’. This Japanese relaxation practice, known as shinrin yoku is encouraged by Forestry England. It doesn’t involve getting into water, it’s a simple process of being calm and quiet among the trees and observing nature around you, to de-stress and boost health and wellbeing. It works for me, I look at the leaves above my head and see the different shapes and colours of each one, I breathe deeply, and wind down for a moment. It’s amazing that built-up London still has patches of woodland lingering from prehistoric times, if you know where to look.

Judith Field

Bluebell Wood, Winton Avenue, London N11 2AR