Sydenham Hill Wood Work

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...

Open At Last   Cox's Walk Footbridge has been reopened at long last! Putting the final touches to the newly reopened bridge The bridge closed with little warning at the end of 2019,  as a result of concerns about structural movements in the brick abutments at each end. The plans to rebuild were derailed when it emerged that two mature oak trees were to be felled to allow heavy machinery access to the site. A campaign to save the oaks delayed these plans, a court ruling found in favour of the protestors and a blanket tree preservation order was placed on the Wood. Southwark Highways went back to the drawing board to produce a plan which would have a much lower impact on the Wood and leave the oaks in situ.  The result is the newly renovated bridge we see today.  This is excellent news as it allows the Trust's members to work hard on repairing the severe damage nearly five years of trampling have done to the Wood in the vicinity of the bridge. Already, a new ...