Totteridge Green facts for kids
Totteridge Green is a special natural area in Totteridge, part of the London Borough of Barnet. It's like a big, beautiful park that's important for nature. It's also a "common land," which means it has a long history of being used by local people. This nature reserve covers land on both sides of the road called Totteridge Green. It looks like a typical English village green, with open grassy areas, small patches of bushy woodland, and a pond.
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Exploring Totteridge Green
A Special Place for Nature
Totteridge Green is a five-hectare (about 12 acres) area. It's officially called a "Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade II." This means it's a really important spot for wildlife and plants in London.
Plants and Animals of the Green
Most of the grassy areas are covered with a common grass called perennial rye-grass. You can also find many different kinds of wild flowers here. Some parts have dry, acidic grassland. There are also a few damp, low areas, which might have been ponds a long time ago. These damp spots have bumpy grass and some unusual wild flowers. These include great burnet, bog stitchwort, and common marsh-bedstraw.
An old map from the 1840s shows there used to be fourteen ponds here. Today, only Laurel Farm Pond remains. This pond is a popular spot for many geese and mallard ducks. You can also see different kinds of trees, like pedunculate oaks, beech trees, and horse chestnuts.
Paths and Access
The site includes a short walking path that goes through the woods to Coppice Walk. You can also get to Totteridge Green from Totteridge Village and Laurel Way. There's another path that starts near Laurel Farm Pond. This path leads through the Folly Brook Valley all the way to Woodside Park.
Totteridge Croft Field
Totteridge Croft Field is another important natural area. It's about 2.4 hectares (nearly 6 acres) in size. This field is a "Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade I." This means it's even more important for nature than Totteridge Green. It's located between Totteridge Green and Darland's Lake.
The field is surrounded by tall, wild hedges. It has natural clay grassland that hasn't been changed much by people. It seems like it used to be a hay meadow, but now it's turning back into rough grassland and scrub. Much of the field is covered with tufted hair-grass. You can also find scattered oak and crab apple trees here. There's a good variety of wild flowers, including some uncommon types like sneezewort and pignut. This field is a great home for birds. It also provides cover for mammals like rabbits and muntjac deer. Please note that this field is private land, so there is no public access.
Images for kids
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Totteridge Green
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Oak tree on Totteridge Green
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Laurel Farm Pond
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Footpath to Coppice Walk
