Local Wildlife Site

Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

St Paul's Churchyard and Crossfield Street Open Space
Borough: Lewisham
Grade: Local
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 1.29 ha

Description

The churchyard to this fine 18th century church and the adjacent open space have an abundance of mature trees and dense planted shrubbery, and some surprisingly flower-rich acid grassland.

Wildlife

The churchyard has plenty of trees with avenues of lime and London plane. Beneath the trees, the grass is kept short but nevertheless contains an abundance of wildflowers, particularly cat's-ear, autumnal hawkbit, selfheal and the locally scarce common stork's-bill. There are dense planted shrubberies of mostly exotic species. Many of these have nectar-producing flowers or berries, thus providing foraging for insects and birds. At the eastern end of the churchyard, a number of native trees and shrubs have been planted, including hazel, alder, wild privet and hawthorn. All are currently young.The open space south of Coffey Street is mostly covered in formal parkland of scattered trees and amenity grassland. However, there is a little fiddle dock, a locally scarce species in London, and a strip of tall flowers and rough grassland next to Crossfield Street that includes creeping thistle, perennial wall-rocket and mugwort.

Facilities

sculptures/ monuments.
Self-heal © Mike Waite

Self-heal © Mike Waite

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