Dulwich Wood
Encyclopedia
Dulwich Wood together with the adjacent Sydenham Hill Wood
is the largest extant part of the ancient Great North Wood
. The two woods were separated after the relocation of The Crystal Palace
in 1854 and the creation of the high level line in 1865. The wood is privately owned and managed by the Dulwich Estate
.
the Manor of Dulwich belonged to Bermondsey Abbey
, having been given to the abbey in in 1127 by King Henry I
. When Henry VIII
dissolved the monasteries in 1542 he had the Dulwich Estate surveyed.
The Court
of King Charles I
, paid frequent visits to Dulwich and its woods to hunt deer.
By 1605 Edward Alleyn
was a wealthy man and for £5,000 (a large amount in those days), was able to buy the Manor
of Dulwich from the Calton family, who had owned it since the dissolution of the monasteries
. Alleyn managed the woods in a business-like way, dividing them into ten coppices, one coppice to be felled each year when the trees were ten years old. Peckarman's Wood, now a housing estate, was one of these coppices.
In 1738 a man named Samuel Bentyman was murdered in Dulwich Wood.
In 1803 Samuel Matthews, known as the Dulwich Hermit, met with a similar fate. The grave of Samuel Matthews is in Dulwich Old Cemetery in the heart of Dulwich Village
.
. From the station turn right a short distance along College Road, past St Stephen's church, then through the white gate on the opposite side of the road into Low Cross Wood Lane and on the left just ahead is a gate to Dulwich Wood. There is also an entrance by the footbridge on Cox's Walk, off Dulwich Common
.
Sydenham Hill Wood
The nine-hectare Sydenham Hill Wood, is situated on the northern slopes of the Norwood Ridge in the London Borough of Southwark, and is an important wildlife site. Together with the adjacent Dulwich Wood , Sydenham Hill Wood is the largest extant tract of the ancient Great North Wood...
is the largest extant part of the ancient Great North Wood
Great North Wood
The Great North Wood was a natural oak forest that covered most of the area of raised ground starting some four miles south of central London, covering the Sydenham Ridge and the southern reaches of the River Effra and its tributaries...
. The two woods were separated after the relocation of The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
in 1854 and the creation of the high level line in 1865. The wood is privately owned and managed by the Dulwich Estate
Dulwich Estate
The Dulwich Estate is a registered charity in England, one of the successors to the historic charity Alleyn's College of God's Gift, founded in 1619...
.
History
In the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
the Manor of Dulwich belonged to Bermondsey Abbey
Bermondsey Abbey
Bermondsey Abbey was an English Benedictine monastery. Most widely known as an 11th-century foundation, it had a precursor mentioned in the early 8th century, and was centred on what is now Bermondsey Square, the site of Bermondsey Market, Bermondsey in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast...
, having been given to the abbey in in 1127 by King Henry I
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
. When Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
dissolved the monasteries in 1542 he had the Dulwich Estate surveyed.
The Court
Noble court
The court of a monarch, or at some periods an important nobleman, is a term for the extended household and all those who regularly attended on the ruler or central figure...
of King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
, paid frequent visits to Dulwich and its woods to hunt deer.
By 1605 Edward Alleyn
Edward Alleyn
Edward Alleyn was an English actor who was a major figure of the Elizabethan theatre and founder of Dulwich College and Alleyn's School.-Early life:...
was a wealthy man and for £5,000 (a large amount in those days), was able to buy the Manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
of Dulwich from the Calton family, who had owned it since the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
. Alleyn managed the woods in a business-like way, dividing them into ten coppices, one coppice to be felled each year when the trees were ten years old. Peckarman's Wood, now a housing estate, was one of these coppices.
In 1738 a man named Samuel Bentyman was murdered in Dulwich Wood.
In 1803 Samuel Matthews, known as the Dulwich Hermit, met with a similar fate. The grave of Samuel Matthews is in Dulwich Old Cemetery in the heart of Dulwich Village
Dulwich Village
Dulwich Village is an area of Dulwich in South London's SE21 postcode area in England. It is located in the London Borough of Southwark."Dulwich Village" is also the name of one of the High Streets in the area. Residents in Dulwich Village have to pay ground rent to the Dulwich Estate a landowning...
.
Access
The wood can be reached from Sydenham Hill railway stationSydenham Hill railway station
Sydenham Hill railway station is in the London Borough of Southwark in south London. The station serves Sydenham Hill and parts of Sydenham and Dulwich. It is in Travelcard Zone 3, and the station and all trains are operated by Southeastern...
. From the station turn right a short distance along College Road, past St Stephen's church, then through the white gate on the opposite side of the road into Low Cross Wood Lane and on the left just ahead is a gate to Dulwich Wood. There is also an entrance by the footbridge on Cox's Walk, off Dulwich Common
Dulwich Common
Dulwich Common may refer to:* An historic flood plane now called West Dulwich or The Croxteds* Part of the A205 road in Dulwich and the London Borough of Southwark....
.
External links
- Dulwich and Sydenham Hill Woods on London Wildweb
- London Wildlife Trust website