Cox's Walk Entrances Volunteers have been working on improving the state of the entrances to the Wood on either side of the bridge. During nearly five years of closure, the concentrated footfall had churned up the ground at both entrances, the western side becoming a soggy quagmire each time it rained. Newly improved surface at the western entrance At the western entrance, a subsurface of broken bricks was bedded in and on top of this, crushed aggregate was laid and then tamped down to create a firmer and, hopefully, better drained surface. On the eastern side, the lower steps were repositioned and a new surface of aggregate laid to reduce water retention and to make it less slippery in wet weather. The lower step was extended over to the kissing gate and a new surface laid at the entrance. Finally, the lowest level, behind the new brick step, was resurfaced and tamped down. It is hoped that the new surfaces will prevent further erosion at both entrances and...
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A Review of 2024 The year has seen both general maintenance carrying on but also it has been dominated by the reopening of Cox's Walk footbridge. The years started with storms and heavy rain which cause water-logging in many low lying areas of the Wood. However, the extensive work improving paths paid off with no main through ways being made impassable or difficult to use. At the beginning of November, after many delays, Cox's Walk footbridge was reopened. An excellent job has been done and it is expected that the bridge will need no further major work for many decades to come. Volunteers have worked hard to repair the damage done to the Wood during the five years the bridge was closed. Although a diversion was put in place, fences were broken down and some people preferred to slide down the muddy cutting and up the other side. Since the bridge reopened, dead hedges and new fencing have closed off this unofficial route and extensive planting of new bushes ...
Fencing and Flora Wood anemones in Dulwich Wood Now that reuniting Sydenham Hill and Dulwich Woods is well underway, practical conservation can be see in the stretches of dead hedging along the main paths in Dulwich Wood. Although some people don't like being restricted to certain areas of wood, it is necessary in order to allow the flora and fauna to recover from trampling. The large patches of bare ground in Dulwich Wood contrast with the much healthier amount of ground cover in Sydenham Hill Wood, where conservation has been managed by the London Wildlife Trust. The photo below shows a patch of wood anemone in Sydenham Hill Wood. Only three or four years ago, this was a tiny patch just hanging on, however since the construction of a low hurdle fence to protect it, the patch has spread quickly to cover a much larger area. Over in Dulwich Wood, the area where the Am Brook flows out of the Dewy Pond, is being fenced in to allow regeneration of plant cover. On...

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