Oakleigh Park Rail Cutting facts for kids
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The Oakleigh Park Rail Cutting is a special natural area in Oakleigh Park, a part of the London Borough of Barnet. It's about 8 hectares in size, which is like 16 football fields! This area is important for nature and is officially called a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation. It sits right next to the East Coast Main Line, which is a busy railway track. You can find it between the Oakleigh Park railway station and the Barnet Tunnel to the south.
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What is a Railway Cutting?
A railway cutting is like a big ditch or valley that engineers dig through hills or high ground. They do this to make a flat path for train tracks. The Oakleigh Park Rail Cutting is a wide one. Over time, nature has taken over its slopes, creating a unique environment. This place is a great example of "railway ecology," which means studying how plants and animals live and grow around railway lines.
Plants You Might See
The cutting has different types of habitats, which means different places for plants and animals to live. The eastern side, or bank, is covered with lots of brambles. These are thorny bushes that produce blackberries. You'll also find clumps of blackthorn and hawthorn, which are small trees or shrubs. Among the herbs, look out for rosebay willowherb with its tall pink flowers and Michaelmas daisy with its purple blooms.
The western bank is more like a natural forest. It has older trees such as oak, ash, and sycamore. Closer to the tunnel, you can spot silver birch trees, known for their white bark.
Animals That Live Here
This cutting is a great home for many birds. It provides them with food, shelter, and places to build nests. You might see colorful goldfinches, tiny and busy wrens, or the quiet dunnocks. These birds help keep the ecosystem healthy by eating insects and spreading seeds.
How to Visit Oakleigh Park Rail Cutting
Even though it's next to a railway, you can still get a good view of the cutting. There's a special footbridge that goes over the railway tracks. You can find this bridge between Alverstone Avenue and Oakleigh Park South. From there, you can safely look down and see the diverse plants and maybe even some birds in their natural habitat.
