Chigwell Row Wood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chigwell Row Wood |
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| Type | Local Nature Reserve |
| Location | Chigwell, Essex |
| OS grid | TQ 460 930 |
| Area | 14.1 hectares |
| Managed by | Epping Forest District Council |
Chigwell Row Wood is a special natural area in Chigwell, Essex, known as a Local Nature Reserve. It covers about 14.1 hectares, which is like 35 football fields! This amazing wood is looked after by the Epping Forest District Council, with help from staff and volunteers.
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Discover Chigwell Row Wood
Chigwell Row Wood is a really old forest. It's actually a small piece left over from a much bigger, ancient forest called Hainault Forest. People have known about this wood since the 1600s!
Ancient Trees and Wildlife
For hundreds of years, people used a special method called "pollarding" to collect wood for fuel. This means they would cut the top branches of trees, but let the main trunk keep growing. Because of this, many trees here are very old.
- Over 360 trees in the wood are more than 250 years old!
- Most of these ancient trees (about 75%) are Hornbeam trees.
- The rest (around 20%) are Oak trees.
This old wood is also home to tons of tiny creatures. Scientists have found over 800 different kinds of invertebrates here. Invertebrates are animals without backbones, like insects and spiders.
Bringing Back the Heathland
Years ago, some parts of the wood that used to be open heathland were getting taken over by plants like bramble and aspen. These plants were growing too much and making it hard for other special heathland plants to grow.
Since 2005, people have been working hard to clear these invasive plants. This has helped the original heathland plants to return and thrive again. It's a great example of how we can help nature recover!
Visiting the Wood
You can easily visit Chigwell Row Wood. There's an entrance from a park located off Lambourne Road. It's a wonderful place to explore and enjoy nature.
