Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve

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Overview

Ruislip Woods NNR is the largest block of ancient, semi-natural woodland in Greater London, and includes one of the most extensive oak and hornbeam coppiced woods in the southeast of England. The site also includes acid and neutral grassland, ponds, streams and marshland. The woodlands and adjacent open habitats support an insect fauna which includes nationally rare species of moths, beetles and two-winged flies. Among the rarer species are the great oak beauty, a moth whose larvae feed on oak. The reserve also supports a range of characteristic woodland birds. These include tawny owl, all three British species of woodpecker (green, greater and lesser spotted), willow tit, nuthatch and the less common woodcock and hawfinch. The large extent of the woods, which include Mad Bess Wood, Bayhurst Wood, Park Wood and Copse Wood, and the presence of adjoining open grassland, provide particularly suitable conditions for several of the less common breeding species.

Location

Ruislip

About the area

London, the UK’s capital, is a metropolis of famous landmarks, unrivalled shopping, world-renowned arts venues, galleries and museums, dining and award-winning theatre. London is steeped in royal history, and visitors can watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, learn about the final days of Anne Boleyn at the Tower of London, or take a leisurely stroll around the capital’s Royal Parks.