Rowley Green Common
Encyclopedia
Rowley Green Common is a five hectare nature reserve in Arkley
, London. It is a Local Nature Reserve
which is designated a Site of Metropolitan Importance. It is owned by the London Borough of Barnet
and jointly managed by the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust
and the London Wildlife Trust
.
It is mainly woodland and heathland, although the most important habitat is Sphagnum
bog, one of very few left in London. A large pond is also of botanical interest.
It was once part of Shenleybury Manor in the parish of Shenley, Hertfordshire
. The site has a long history of use. Gravel was once dug on it and this led to the formation of ponds and bog hollows. Cattle were grazed on it until the 1940s and the army used it for manoeuvres during the Second World War. Rowley Green was obtained as public open space in 1934 when Barnet Urban District Council bought the land from the Lord of the Manor
. It was declared a Local Nature Reserve by the London Borough of Barnet in 1991, the first site in the borough to gain this status.
Access is from Rowley Lane, next to Rowley Green Farm.
Arkley
Arkley is a village in the London Borough of Barnet. It is located north north-west of Charing Cross, and at above sea level is one of the highest points in London....
, London. It is a Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
which is designated a Site of Metropolitan Importance. It is owned by the London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
and jointly managed by the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust
Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust
Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust is a registered charity located in St Albans and is one of the 47 local Wildlife Trusts spread across the whole of the UK....
and the London Wildlife Trust
London Wildlife Trust
London Wildlife Trust was founded in 1981. It is one of 47 members of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts , each of which is a local nature conservation charity for its area....
.
It is mainly woodland and heathland, although the most important habitat is Sphagnum
Sphagnum
Sphagnum is a genus of between 151 and 350 species of mosses commonly called peat moss, due to its prevalence in peat bogs and mires. A distinction is made between sphagnum moss, the live moss growing on top of a peat bog on one hand, and sphagnum peat moss or sphagnum peat on the other, the...
bog, one of very few left in London. A large pond is also of botanical interest.
It was once part of Shenleybury Manor in the parish of Shenley, Hertfordshire
Shenley, Hertfordshire
Shenley is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, between Barnet and St Albans. The village is located 18.7 miles from Central London.-History:...
. The site has a long history of use. Gravel was once dug on it and this led to the formation of ponds and bog hollows. Cattle were grazed on it until the 1940s and the army used it for manoeuvres during the Second World War. Rowley Green was obtained as public open space in 1934 when Barnet Urban District Council bought the land from the Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
. It was declared a Local Nature Reserve by the London Borough of Barnet in 1991, the first site in the borough to gain this status.
Access is from Rowley Lane, next to Rowley Green Farm.
External links
- Rowley Green Common, London Wildweb
- Rowley Green Common, London's Heathland Heritage
- Rowley Green Common, Wild About Britain
- Rowley Green Common on the VisitWoods website