Greater London is one of the largest urban areas in Europe, with an area of 1,572 km2 (607 sq mi).[1] Its boundaries were set in 1965 when Greater London, which covers the 32 London boroughs and the City of London, was created. Almost two-thirds of it is green space and wetlands.[2] Its population according to the 2011 census was 8.17 million.[3]
Local nature reserve (LNR) is a statutory designation by local authorities which gives protection to wildlife habitats and natural features. It allows local authorities to apply local bye-laws to manage and protect sites.[4] The local authority must have a legal interest in the site, by owning or leasing it or having a nature reserve agreement with the owner.[5] As of January 2016, Natural England gives details of 144 local nature reserves declared by local authorities in Greater London, which are listed below.[6][a]
Area{{efn|Unless specified otherwise, the area is taken from the Natural England map of each site. (Click on the identify icon (i) in the "Feature Tools" and then click on the site.)[6]
These two small woods are the remnants of the forest which once covered north London. It has birds rarely seen in London, such as the green woodpecker.[38]
A small pond in the middle of houses, which has an extensive variety of aquatic animals, including many breeding toads, and plants, including great and hoary willowherb.[8]
This nature reserve on the bank of Regents Canal in Kings Cross has ponds and areas of meadows and woodland, with birds such as reed warblers and kingfishers.[45]
Coppett's Wood is mainly oak and hornbeam, and has a number of rare insects.[54] Glebelands is a remnant of Finchley Common, and has woodland and ponds.[55]
Cranebank is flood meadows by the River Crane, which are under water in winter. There are twenty-six species of butterflies and twelve of damselflies and dragonflies.[59]
Cuddington Meadows is chalk grassland, and its most important feature is the variety of flowering plants. Sixteen butterfly species have been recorded.[65]
The wood has some massive turkey oaks, and ornamental shrubs which are probably inherited from a time when it was a Victorian garden. There are also marshes and a pond.[66]
This is designed to store water during flooding of Pyl Brook, to prevent flooding downstream. It is wet grassland with a number of uncommon plant species.[70]
The site is abandoned allotments next to Tolworth Brook. Most of it is low diversity grassland, and there is also a thicket of young elms areas of brambles and some large mature trees.[76]
Fox Wood was a reservoir which was drained in World War II to stop it being used as a navigational aid by German bombers. It is now sloping woodland.[82]
The park has a varied landscape, including lakes, woodland and meadows. Over 800 species have been recorded, including 80 birds and 21 butterflies.[87]
Gillespie Park has an ecology centre, and it is mainly grassland. Bird species include reed bunting and song thrush, and there are also ponds with many invertebrates.[88]
Grove Park Nature Reserve contains native woodland, calcareous grassland meadow, a small stream and pond, slow worms, stag beetles, Desmond Tutu Peace Pole
The site has a wide range of habitats, rough grassland, woodland, marshes, river, reedbeds and wet grazing. There are fauna such as great crested newts, slowworms and harvest mice.[99]
This site is disused reservoirs which has many bird species. It is of national importance for wintering gadwall. It also has feeding bats and mammals include water voles.[106]
This site has ancient woodland, parkland, heath, wetland and hedgerows. A survey found 906 invertebrate species, 46 birds, 12 mammals, 59 fungi and 292 plants.[109]
Gilbert's Pit is a geological SSSI. Maryon Wilson Park is a hilly wooded site, which has a stream with rare plants. Maryon Park is acid grassland, scrub and secondary woodland.[116]
This sloping railway cutting is mainly woodland with some areas of grassland, reeds and herbs. There are over 170 plant species, some unusual in the area.[123]
Much of the Ripple is damp grassland, while drier areas have rare species such as yellow vetchling. There are a number of scarce insect species including the emerald damselfly.[147]
The site has been farmed since Domesday, and is currently managed as neutral hay meadows. The damp northern field has plants typical of periodically waterlogged fields, such as creeping bent and marsh foxtail.[175]
The nature area in the park has a wide variety of trees, including pedunculate oak and silver birch. Rare birds include marsh harrier and whinchat. There are also meadows with a large population of butterflies.[183]
^ abcdeThe coordinates and description in the details page for Hogsmill River Park in the Natural England database put it in the same location as Elmbridge Open Space (the northern half of Hogsmill River Park) and Southwood Open Space (the southern half). The map for Hogsmill River Park wrongly shows a small closed wood called Hogsmill Wood.[77] The two maps in this table for Hogsmill River Park are those of Elmbridge and Southwood, and area shown for Hogsmill is the total area of its two halves.
^Jubilee Wood is in two parts separated by an electricity substation. The Natural England map incorrectly shows the western wood as the LNR. Kingston Council's own map of LNRs[103] and a notice on the site shows the eastern wood as the LNR.
^ abThe Natural England details page gives the correct grid reference for Ruislip LNR, but the map wrongly shows Highgrove Wood. Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve Management Plan gives the area and has maps of the site.[152]
^ abTen Acre Wood is described on the Natural England details page as part of Yeading Woods LNR, managed by the London Wildlife Trust. This page has a grid reference and map which is correct according to the LWT. However the separate Natural England map shows a different location, the southern half of Yeading Brook Meadows. The LWT gives a map but not the area for this site.
^There is no map of Tolworth Court Farm Fields on Natural England's Magic Map. There is a map on a noticeboard on the site, but none which can be copied under Wikimedia rules.
^ abThe Natural England details page for Yeading Brook Meadows describes the site as located in Hillingdon and Ealing and managed by the London Wildlife Trust. However the Natural England map shows a small area in Ealing which is not part of the reserve according to the LWT. The map and area for this site are taken from the LWT.
^ abThis site is described on the Natural England details page as including Gutteridge Wood. The Ten Acre Wood details page has a map of the site showing it in two adjoining blocks, and states that it is part of Yeading Woods. The Natural England map of Yeading Woods shows Gutteridge Wood and part of Ten Acre Wood. The map in this table is an LWT one, but the LWT does not show the area. The area is taken from the Natural England listing.[185]
^"Brent Reservoir citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived(PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
^"Coldfall Wood". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 March 2014. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
^ ab"Alexandra Palace & Park". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 20 March 2014. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
^"Masons Field". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 10 March 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
^"Barnes Common". London Parks and Gardens Trust. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
^"Barnsbury Wood". London Parks and Gardens Trust. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
^"Battersea Park Nature Areas". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 1 March 2012. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
^"Beam Valley". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 1 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
^ ab"Nature reserves". London Borough of Merton. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
^"Bentley Priory citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original(PDF) on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
^"Bentley Priory". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 1 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
^"Big Wood & Little Wood". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 1 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
^ ab"Bramley Bank". London Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
^"Brent Reservoir citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived(PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
^"Coppetts Wood and Glebelands". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 4 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
^"Covert Way". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 4 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
^"Dagenham Village Churchyard". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 4 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
^"Map of Frays Farm Meadows". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
^"Frays Valley". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 4 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
^"Fryent Country Park". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 5 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
^"Gillespie Park". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 5 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
^"Greenford parks". London Borough of Ealing. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
^ ab"Ingrebourne Valley". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 25 March 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
^ ab"Isleworth Ait". London Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 4 October 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
^"Abbey Wood citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original(PDF) on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
^"Lesnes Abbey Woods". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 24 March 2015. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
^"Litten". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 5 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
^"One Tree Hill". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 6 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
^"Oxleas Woodlands citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived(PDF) from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
^"Ruislip Woods citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived(PDF) from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
^"South Norwood Country Park". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 7 March 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
^"Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 31 July 2013. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2014.