Sydenham Hill Wood Work

Steps and Seats   Volunteers have been hard at work replacing worn out facilities in the Wood. First to receive attention were the steps down onto the old railway alignment, where the path from the western side of Cox's Walk comes into the Wood. The old steps were showing signs of rot and they had become uneven over time. The new steps have been surfaced with hoggin, a self binding sand mix which provides a firm surface.  Removing the old steps New steps finished   The work had just been finished when the Wood experienced a thunderstorm with very heavy rain. Unfortunately, the drains on Crescent Wood Road, which have been causing problems of flooding as they are not being maintained properly, overflowed. This resulted in torrents of flood water cascading down the path and steps to the tunnel and flooded the area.  Polluted water also contaminated the Am Brook and this will have flowed into the Dewey Pond....

Bridge Update   Great news! It seems that Southwark has come up with a way to restore Cox's Walk footbridge without removing the two oaks.Here is the update from the Southwark council website. Update We remain committed to the decision made last year to deliver a scheme that honours the Tree Protection Orders (TPOs) put in place by our Planning team. Made for the two mature oak trees adjacent to the west side of the footbridge. The trees are protected and their future is secure. The footbridge itself has remained closed to the public whilst work is done to consider various options and determine a solution. This solution will also addresses the essential repair works to the footbridge. We have thoroughly reviewed all the feasible options to refurbish the footbridge using the following criteria:  restoring the bridge in the form that meets its historic status retaining the two oak trees adjacent to the western abutment minimising removal of trees for the access for pla...