The Ruislip Woods form an extensive example of
ancient semi-natural woodland, including some of the largest
unbroken blocks that remain in Greater London. A diverse range of
oak and hornbeam woodland types occurs, with large areas managed on
a traditional coppice-with-standards system.
The site is also unusual in Greater London for the
juxtaposition of extensive woodland with other seminatural
habitats, mostly notably acidic grass-heath mosaic and areas of
wetland. These habitats and especially the woodland contain a
number of plant and insect species that are rare* or scarce* in a
national or local context.
The woodland lies in four major blocks, known as
Bayhurst, Mad Bess, Copse and Park Woods, situated across the upper
slopes and valleys at the head of several stream systems. Park Wood
is the only unbroken area of ancient semi-natural woodland larger
than 100 hectares in Greater London.
Ruislip Woods NNR is situated in North West
Middlesex within the London Borough of
Hillingdon.
This concept plan has been produced as an
interactive extension of the official management plan 2010-15
published on line by Hillingdon Borough Council. It is an
educational resource produced as a guide to the official Woodlands
Management Plan assembled from key elements of the plan by
Resilience UK, as part of an international
comparison of conservation management plans for tree
landscapes.