construct ships and by the Church to construct buildings. In the 1880s, the last tenant gave up his lease. In 1886, the City of London Corporation acquired what was by then known as Gravelpit Wood (so named in 1863 on account of a gravel pit used to source gravel for roads in the district) from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners at no charge on condition that it was "maintained in perpetuity for the benefit of Londoners". It was renamed Highgate Wood; it has been owned and managed by the Corporation ever since. Care and management The City of London Corporation's maintenance of the wood was not always sympathetic to its historical origins. On acquisition, asphalt paths were laid, ornamental trees were planted and dead wood was assiduously removed and burned. Highgate Wood was managed more as an urban park than ancient woodland. In 1968 the Conservation Committee of the London Natural History Society expressed its concern at the planting of exotic conifers as being inappropriate for ancient woodland. As a consequence of this protest the planting programme was halted and has not been continued. More recently management practices have been much more sympathetic to the Wood's indigenous flora and fauna. Certain areas have been fenced to allow the regeneration of the vegetation free of trampling, and dead wood is allowed to decay ‘’in situ’’ — to the great benefit of saprotrophic fungi and a wide range of invertebrates. Nature reserve Highgate Wood is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. It is also listed as one of only eight Green Heritage Sites in London. Facilities and access Highgate Wood can be reached easily from Highgate station on the Northern line of the London Underground. It is adjacent to the A1 road and is situated approximately 6 miles (10 km) north of Charing Cross, well inside London's metropolitan area. As well as a football pitch and a cricket field, Highgate Wood has a children’s playground, a café and an information centre. References Sources City of London website on Highgate Wood The Natural History of Haringey's Ancient Woodlands, by David Bevan Wild Service Tree "Distribution and Status of Bats in the London Area", Mickleburgh (1987) Middlesex: 012 Ordnance Survey 1:10,560: Epoch 1 External links Highgate Wood pages on the City of London website Highgate Wood on the VisitWoods website Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Haringey Parks and open spaces