Local Wildlife Site

Wildlife

A bank of mixed woodland runs along the edge of Hampton Football Club's ground. The canopy is a mix of planted and self-sown trees, including Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), oak (Quercus robur), sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) and cherry (Prunus sp.). A dense understorey includes elder (Sambucus nigra), privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) mock-orange (Philadelphus sp.), holly (Ilex aquilifolium) and regenerating elm. The ground flora is dominated by ivy (Hedera helix), cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) and bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.), with a fine display of bluebells (Hyacinthoides sp.) in spring. An overgrown hedge, now a narrow strip of woodland, runs south from the bank, alongside the football pitch. This has a canopy of tall ash and poplar (Populus sp.) over hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and damson (Prunus domestica ssp. insititia). A small meadow beside the hedge is dominated by meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis) and meadow-grasses (Poa spp.), with a few common wild flowers. The site as a whole is accessible via the entrance to Hampton Football Ground, Station Road. However the path through the bank itself is overgrown and there may be branches to climb over.