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Nature Reserves In Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet, on the northern outskirts of London, is mainly residential, but it has large areas of green space and farmland. The spread of suburban development into the countryside was halted by the designation of a statutory Green Belt around London after the Second World War, and almost one third of Barnet's area of is Green Belt. Without this control, Barnet would be very different today, and this list of nature reserves would be much shorter. Most of Barnet lies over London Clay, which is poor for agriculture, and open land is mainly used for activities such as horse grazing, playing fields, parks and golf courses. Features of the traditional agricultural landscape have survived, such as old hedgerows, ancient trees and areas of herb-rich grassland. Some hay meadows have a large diversity of wild flowers, and the London Ecology Unit (LEU) described them as one of Barnet's most important ecological assets. Barnet has large areas with designations intended t ...
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Beech Hill Lake
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engleriana'' subgenus is found only in East Asia, distinctive for its low branches, often made up of several major trunks with yellowish bark. The better known ''Fagus'' subgenus beeches are high-branching with tall, stout trunks and smooth silver-grey bark. The European beech (''Fagus sylvatica'') is the most commonly cultivated. Beeches are monoecious, bearing both male and female flowers on the same plant. The small flowers are unisexual, the female flowers borne in pairs, the male flowers wind-pollinating catkins. They are produced in spring shortly after the new leaves appear. The fruit of the beech tree, known as beechnuts or mast, is found in small burrs that drop from the tree in autumn. They are small, roughly triangular, and edible, w ...
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Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved. It also has a responsibility to help people enjoy, understand and access the natural environment. Natural England focuses its activities and resources on four strategic outcomes: * a healthy natural environment * enjoyment of the natural environment * sustainable use of the natural environment * a secure environmental future Roles and responsibilities As a non-departmental public body (NDPB), Natural England is independent of government. However, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has the legal power to issue guidance to Natural England on various matters, a constraint that was not placed on its predecessor NDPBs. Its powers inc ...
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Mill Hill
Mill Hill is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is situated around northwest of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until 1965, when it became part of Greater London. Its population counted 18,451 inhabitants as of 2011. Mill Hill consists of several distinct parts: the original Mill Hill Village; the later-developed Mill Hill Broadway (now the main hub of the area); and Mill Hill East - alongside large swathes of countryside. A further area at the western edge of the suburb, The Hale, is on the borders of Mill Hill and Edgware, and is partly in each. History The area's name was first recorded as Myllehill in 1547 and appears to mean "hill with a windmill". However, the workings of the original Mill are in the building adjacent to The Mill Field. Mill Hill Village is the oldest known inhabited part of the district, a ribbon development along a medieval route called 'The Ridgeway'. It is thought that the name 'Mill Hill' ma ...
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Meadow Pipit
The meadow pipit (''Anthus pratensis'') is a small passerine bird, which breeds in much of the Palearctic, from southeastern Greenland and Iceland east to just east of the Ural Mountains in Russia, and south to central France and Romania; an isolated population also occurs in the Caucasus Mountains. It is migratory over most of its range, wintering in southern Europe, North Africa, and south-western Asia, but is resident year-round in western Europe, though even here many birds move to the coast or lowlands in winter. Taxonomy The meadow pipit was formally described by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae'' under the binomial name ''Alauda pratensis''. The type locality is Sweden. The meadow pipit is now the type species of the genus ''Anthus'' that was introduced in 1805 by German naturalist Johann Matthäus Bechstein. The species is monotypic; no subspecies are recognised. The generic name ''Anthus'' is the Latin name for a ...
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Eurasian Skylark
The Eurasian skylark (''Alauda arvensis'') is a passerine bird in the lark family, Alaudidae. It is a widespread species found across Europe and the Palearctic with introduced populations in New Zealand, Australia and on the Hawaiian Islands. It is a bird of open farmland and heath, known for the song of the male, which is delivered in hovering flight from heights of . The sexes are alike. It is streaked greyish-brown above and on the breast and has a buff-white belly. The female Eurasian skylark builds an open nest in a shallow depression on open ground well away from trees, bushes and hedges. She lays three to five eggs which she incubates for around 11 days. The chicks are fed by both parents but leave the nest after eight to ten days, well before they can fly. They scatter and hide in the vegetation but continue to be fed by the parents until they can fly at 18 to 20 days of age. Nests are subject to high predation rates by larger birds and small mammals. The parents can ha ...
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Arkley South Field
Arkley South Fields are a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade II, in Arkley in the London Borough of Barnet. It is an extensive area of set-aside agricultural fields with hedgerows and ditches. It is not of great botanical interest, and its conservation value lies in its breeding birds, especially skylarks, a declining species which is a priority under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. It also supports breeding meadow pipits, kestrels, reed buntings, whitethroats, willow warblers and green woodpeckers. There is no public access, but going down Barnet Gate Lane from Barnet Road, it can be viewed after the last houses on the left. See also *Nature reserves in Barnet The London Borough of Barnet, on the northern outskirts of London, is mainly residential, but it has large areas of green space and farmland. The spread of suburban development into the countryside was halted by the designation of a statutory Gr ... References {{Authority control Natur ...
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Arkley South Fields
Arkley South Fields are a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade II, in Arkley in the London Borough of Barnet. It is an extensive area of set-aside agricultural fields with hedgerows and ditches. It is not of great botanical interest, and its conservation value lies in its breeding birds, especially skylarks, a declining species which is a priority under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. It also supports breeding meadow pipits, kestrels, reed buntings, whitethroats, willow warblers and green woodpeckers. There is no public access, but going down Barnet Gate Lane from Barnet Road, it can be viewed after the last houses on the left. See also *Nature reserves in Barnet The London Borough of Barnet, on the northern outskirts of London, is mainly residential, but it has large areas of green space and farmland. The spread of suburban development into the countryside was halted by the designation of a statutory Gr ... References {{Authority control Na ...
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Arkley
Arkley is an area of north London, England, within the London Borough of Barnet. It is located north-northwest of Charing Cross. It consists of a long village strung out between Barnet and Stirling Corner, roughly centred on the "Gate" pub, and composed of the ancient hamlets of Barnet Gate, Rowley Green and Arkley. At above sea level, Arkley is one of the highest points in London. History Toponymy The origins of the name ''Arkley'' are unclear; it is first recorded as ''Arkleyslond'' in 1332. The first element of the name appears to come from the Old English word ''(e)arc'' (or ark, meaning a chest, bin or other wooden receptacle), while the second element is from ''leāh'', a woodland clearing or glade. ''–lond'' in the earlier name means "cultivated ground". The name ''Arkley'' would thus mean "woodland clearing by the ark or by the place where arks are made". Historical background It is thought by some that Hendon Wood Lane was originally a minor Roman road. ...
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Arkley Lane
Arkley is an area of north London, England, within the London Borough of Barnet. It is located north-northwest of Charing Cross. It consists of a long village strung out between Barnet and Stirling Corner, roughly centred on the "Gate" pub, and composed of the ancient hamlets of Barnet Gate, Rowley Green and Arkley. At above sea level, Arkley is one of the highest points in London. History Toponymy The origins of the name ''Arkley'' are unclear; it is first recorded as ''Arkleyslond'' in 1332. The first element of the name appears to come from the Old English word ''(e)arc'' (or ark, meaning a chest, bin or other wooden receptacle), while the second element is from ''leāh'', a woodland clearing or glade. ''–lond'' in the earlier name means "cultivated ground". The name ''Arkley'' would thus mean "woodland clearing by the ark or by the place where arks are made". Historical background It is thought by some that Hendon Wood Lane was originally a minor Roman road. ...
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Arkley Lane And Pastures
Arkley Lane and Pastures is a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade II, in Arkley in the London Borough of Barnet. Arkley Lane, off Barnet Road, is an old drovers' road. Located on the Barnet Plateau, it is now a quiet country lane with a traditional bank and ditch. The thick hedges are composed of beech and hornbeam, ash, field maple and magnificent old pedunculate oaks. The hedge flora are dominated by cow parsley, and the ditches have wetland flowers including water figwort and wild angelica. A small adjacent woodland, which is probably ancient, has nesting birds, including sparrowhawks, willow warblers and stock doves. Muntjac deer are often seen there. The fields on either side of the lane are traditionally managed, some grazed by horses and others managed as hay meadows. Three fields which have escaped agricultural improvement support wild flowers typical of old grassland, such as sneezewort and pignut. There is only public access to the lane itsel ...
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