Biggin Wood facts for kids

Biggin Wood is an old forest in the London Borough of Croydon. It's known as an ancient oak woodland, meaning it's been a forest for hundreds of years! The London Wildlife Trust is working with Croydon Council and a group called Friends of Biggin Wood. They want to make the wood even better for wildlife. This work is part of a bigger plan called The Great North Wood Project.

Biggin Wood is home to many British animals and plants. You might spot a Great spotted woodpecker tapping on trees. It also has tall English Oak trees and beautiful Bluebell flowers in spring.

History of Biggin Wood

Biggin Wood has a long and interesting past. People have known about this woodland for a very long time.

Early Records: 1400s to 1600s

The first mention of Biggin Wood was way back in 1493. It was written in a land record by Archbishop Morton. The record called it "Biggins Farm, Biggenswood" and said it was a large estate of 120 acres.

Later, in 1678, a survey by Archbishop Laud described the area as "Biggin Hill Coppice." It was about 78 acres. A coppice is a woodland where trees are cut back regularly. This helps new shoots grow, which can be used for wood. The survey also said that local people could use the land for their animals to graze.

Changes in the 1800s

In the 1800s, maps showed Biggin Wood surrounded by farms and gardens. The wood even stretched into areas that are now used as allotments (small plots of land for growing food).

Around 1801, a law called the Croydon Enclosure Award allowed landowners to sell or rent their land for building. Because of this, several houses with big gardens were built near Biggin Wood between 1800 and 1840.

A large house called Bigginwood House was built north of the wood between 1800 and 1828. In 1838, Hugh Bowditch took over the house and the surrounding land, creating the Biggin Wood Estate. After he died in 1870, the house went to James Epps, who was famous for making "Epp’s Homeopathic Cocoa."

Saving the Wood: 1900s to Today

By the 1920s, the Bigginwood Estate was not well cared for, and people couldn't easily visit the woods. In the 1930s, new houses were built all around the wood. The Bigginwood House itself burned down in 1934.

In 1938, local groups like the Streatham Antiquarian and Natural History Society worked with the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. They wanted to keep Biggin Wood as a public green space. The local council bought the land from James Epps's family. The deal was that the land had to stay a bird sanctuary and open space for everyone. This stopped plans to build more houses in the northern part of the wood. Also, four acres of land to the east, called Hilly Fields, became allotments, which are still there today.

During World War II, a small air raid shelter was built in the wood. A small bomb also landed in the wood, leaving a crater that you can still see.

After the war, there were still plans to build a road through the wood. Many trees were removed from the northern part of the wood for this reason.

In 1997, local people formed a group called Action for Biggin Wood. They worked with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (now called The Conservation Volunteers) to look after the wood. They helped manage the trees, fix paths, and repair steps, making it a better place for everyone to enjoy.