A large common, with scattered areas of woodland and heathland and several ponds and lakes, providing good conditions for many different types of plant and insect.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Old Redding Complex
Borough: Harrow
Grade: Metropolitan
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 41.93 ha
Description
Wildlife
This site, featuring the historically important Grim's Dyke earthwork, is particularly important for its diverse woodland and relict heathland communities. Woodland is composed mainly of oak (Quercus spp.) and birch (Betula spp.), with aspen (Populus tremula), beech (Fagus sylvatica) and some hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) coppice. The ground flora includes several regionally rare ferns and horsetails; wood horsetail (Equisetum sylvaticum), soft shield-fern (Polystichum setiferum), scaly male-fern (Dryopteris affinis), great horsetail (Equisetum telmateia) and hard-fern (Blechnum spicant). Relict heathland species include heather (Calluna vulgaris), marsh pennywort (Hydrocotyle vulgaris), heath rush (Juncus squarrosus), bulbous rush (J. bulbosus), lesser spearwort (Ranunculus flammula) and bog-mosses (Sphagnum spp.). Some ornamental lakes and ponds provide further habitat diversity. The invertebrate fauna is also important and includes the green hairstreak butterfly, as well as the nationally scarce downy emerald dragonfly (Cordulia aenea) at one of its very few London sites. The site includes a Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest.
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