Sydenham Hill Wood Work

Moth Survey  Work in the Wood has settled into a routine of maintenance and improvement. The exceptionally dry and warm weather has presented challenges and opportunities. The small pond has dried out completely but this has allowed excess sediment to be dug from the bed so when it refills, the water should be deeper and clearer. The hedge planted in the winter is showing sign of distress as  the young plants have been unable to establish themselves with roots deep enough to seek water. Consequently, volunteers have had to transport water from Peckarman's Wood all the way across to Cox's Walk steps. Hopefully this has saved many of the young plants from succumbing to drought.  Following on from the Dewey Pond survey in June,  on the evening of 23rd August,  moth traps were set up in two secure sections of the Wood. The following day, the number and type of moths were recorded and the moths released unharmed. The resul...

Dewy Pond Survey   2022 A dragonfly nymph found in the Dewy Pond. 1st June saw the annual Dewy Pond survey carried out by volunteers and led by Kate Lake, herself an experienced volunteer in the Wood. Many thanks to Kate for leading the survey, collating the results and analysing them. The results are similar to the last survey which was carried out on 18th August last year, though there was lower diversity in that slightly fewer species were recorded.  Also there were no swimming mayfly nymphs, a common species that is semi-sensitive to oxygen levels and these have been observed during many years of surveys of invertebrates in the pond.  Dragonfly nymphs were not found whilst doing the survey, however after it was concluded, a volunteer located the best spot and found two large nymphs (see photo above). However, this did not make up for the fact that their numbers were very low.  Also the only water boatmen found were when pondweed was being cleared and not during t...

Flooding again  Before talking about the problems in the Wood, it's really pleasing to see foxgloves spreading into lighter areas. These were founding growing behind the Tennis Court Glade. Another thunderstorm has brought flooding to the Wood yet again. The problem is the same; the drain in Crescent Wood Road can't cope with heavy rainfall. This, despite the fact it is situated on top of a hill. The thunderstorm on Tuesday afternoon (31st May) caused the drain to back up and overflow into the Wood. The torrent of water rushed its way down the main path down to the tunnel, damaging the newly laid surface yet again. To try to help mitigate the effect if and when it happens again, volunteers spent the following day making the new French drain at the top of the path more effective. To do this, a new raised area was installed which not only acts as an extra barrier to the water but also evens out the surface by burying exposed roots. This should make the surface...

Drains and More Steps   The drainage system on Crescent Wood Road has been causing big problems for the Wood. When there is heavy rain and especially during a thunder storm, polluted water overflows from the drain covers in the road and cascades into the Wood. This has caused damage to the newly improved section of path and steps near the tunnel mouth. It seems Thames Water thinks it has done everything it needs to do, however, the problem remains.  Consequently, the Wood's volunteers have started to put in place mitigation to help tackle this.  Slowly but surely, new steps are being added to the main path down from the Crescent Wood Road entrance. These should help where heavy footfall and water damage have eroded the path to make it uneven. The new steps use materials from the Wood such as branches as well as recycled material such as scaffolding and decking boards. The steps are backfilled with crushed concrete and then topped with li...

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...