Park of the week

88. Cherry Tree Wood 

This is a local nature reserve in East Finchley, on the boundary between the London Boroughs of Barnet and Haringey. It is owned and managed by Barnet as one of their Premier Parks. It’s a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation.

It was once part of Finchley Wood, which stretched from Highgate to Whetstone in the medieval period, and contains ancient woodland. It was included in a larger swathe of woodland, meadow and pasture owned by the Bishop of London, including Highgate Wood, Queens Wood (see 26) and Coldfall Wood (see 1). It provided an income from harvested fuel wood and pigs. 

The wood used to be known as Dirt House Wood because the night soil and horse manure cleaned from London’s streets was brought as fertiliser for the hay meadows to the Dirt House, now the White Lion pub next to East Finchley station. The woodland was reduced in size as land was taken for the railway and for house building in the 1860s.

The need for a recreational space in East Finchley was recognised in the late nineteenth century but it was not until 1912 that the wood was seriously considered for this. Then, it had a reputation for rowdy behaviour and the local authority believed they would kill two birds with one stone if it became a recreation ground. They purchased it in 1914 and it opened to the public in 1915, with the name Cherry Tree Wood.

Hornbeam and oak grow in the wood, and wood anemone grow there in spring with other ancient woodland plants including ramsons (we have these in our garden in Mill Hill – a sort of mild wild garlic, very tasty). Nuthatch, great spotted woodpecker and mistle thrush can often be seen.

The wood has playgrounds, a café, toilets, tennis and basketball courts, a picnic area, woodland walks and an open grassed area - we celebrated my cousin’s sixtieth birthday there a few years ago.

There are entrances from Brompton Grove, Fordington Road and Summerlee Avenue (all N2) and East Finchley station is a five-minute walk away.

Judith Field

Cherry Tree Wood, Summerlee Ave, London N2 9QH