Selsdon Wood
Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve — eastern entrance and London Loop path.
Selsdon Wood is located in Greater London
Selsdon Wood
Selsdon Wood
TypePublic park
LocationSelsdon, London
Coordinates51°20′18″N 0°02′47″W / 51.3383°N 0.0463°W / 51.3383; -0.0463
Area200 acres (81 ha)
Owned byThe National Trust
Operated byLondon Borough of Croydon
StatusOpen all year

Selsdon Wood is a woodland area located in the London Borough of Croydon. The park is owned by the National Trust but managed by the London Borough of Croydon. It is a Local Nature Reserve.[1][2] The wood has a Friends group – the Friends of Selsdon Wood (FSW) – who have their own website.[3]

Following the death of the 'Squire' in 1923 the large private rural estate of Selsdon was to be broken up and developed for housing. A group of five called the 'Selsdon Wood Preservation Scheme' banded to raise public funds to buy and save the area. This took 10 years with appeals in major newspapers of the time. [4]

The five leaders of the Preservation groups were Sir Lawrence Wesley Chubb, Alice Mabel Bonus (neice of Anna Kingsford), Winifred Mary Hudson, Ernest Alfred Earl and Malcolm Sharpe (saviour of Croham Hurst).

Sir Julian Huxley (a zoological scientist) was a celebrity supporter of the Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve campaign.[5] It was also supported by the early RSPB notably Etta Lemon.

In 1988 The first Forestry Show, as it was then called, was held in The Great Field of the wood. The purpose was to show off Croydon Council's new equipment and to explain what actions the Council were taking after the storm of 1987 that had brought down so many trees.

The show continued as an annual event, later called the Country Show, until 2002. Over the years it grew in scale and scope, with livestock even fairground rides and it became product of its own success with attendance in thousands. There were safety concerns over access for emergency services, traffic and parking problems, the risk of damage to the environment from so much heavy equipment and escalating costs so it was decided that there should be no further shows after 2002.

The statuesque bear that stands beside the car park was carved in the first year (1988) as a spectator event during the show. It was carved by a local tree surgeon, Selwyn Smith who now lives in Wales.

The Wood is part of the London Greenbelt and bounds Farleigh Golf Course and Kings Wood creating an important wildlife corridor.

Access

Main entrance to the park is off Old Farleigh Road, served by bus stop Forestdale, Selsdon Nature Reserve on Surrey routes 353 and 409; the London Buses route 433 serves nearby Sandpiper Road, while the London Buses route 353 serves Court Wood Lane at the back of the wood. The London Loop path (Section 4 West Wickham Common to Hamsey Green) runs through the park.[6] as does The Vanguard Way. The park is fully accessible at all times.

Facilities

Selsdon Wood facilities include:

  • Car park (One bay available for the disabled) at Old Farleigh Road entrance
  • Pond
  • Public footpaths — including Section 4 of the London LOOP (London Outer Orbital Path); West Wickham Common to Hamsey Green section.
  • Includes part of the Vanguard Way
  • Seats
  • Toilets at Old Farleigh Road entrance (Closed)
  • Woodlands and open meadows

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Selsdon Wood". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "Map of Selsdon Wood". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "Friends of Selsdon Wood". friendsofselsdonwood.co.uk.
  4. ↑ Ted, Frith. "History of the area, 1925, Friends of Selsdon Wood". Friendsofselsdonwood.co.uk. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)
  5. ↑ "The Sir Julian Huxley". jdwetherspoon.co.uk.
  6. ↑ For more information on this London Loop path visit Transport for London site
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