Rowley Green Common is a Local Nature Reserve managed jointly by the London and Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trusts. It is made up largely of naturally regenerated woodland which has replaced formerly more widespread heathland and acid grassland. The most important habitat here is the peat bog, which is one of very few left in London.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Rowley Green Common Local Nature Reserve
Borough: Barnet
Grade: Metropolitan
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 5.86 ha
Description
Wildlife
The surrounding hedges are at least three hundred years old and are mainly composed of oak, ash, beech, hawthorn and holly. It is from these that the woodland has grown up on the Common itself, so here oak and birch dominate, with some willow and aspen in former boggy areas. The acid grasslands support locally uncommon species such as heather, mat-grass, petty whin and pill sedge. In the bog at least four species of bog-moss can be found along with various rushes, purple moor-grass, lesser spearwort and the London rarity star sedge. A large pond in the west of Common has other points of interest, including species such as floating club-rush, marsh speedwell and bulbous and sharp-flowered rushes.Among the insects to be found is the locally uncommon emerald damselfly, as well as many other more widespread species.Facilities
Information (on signs); trails.
Rowley Green Common © London Wildlife Trust
Information board at Rowley Green © London Wildlife Trust
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