Dulwich Upper Wood is a 2.4 hectare local nature reserve and Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, in

Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...

in the

London Borough of Southwark The London Borough of Southwark ( ) in South London forms part of Inner London and is connected by bridges across the River Thames to the City of London and London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It was created in 1965 when three smaller council areas ...

. It is owned by Southwark Council and managed by the

Trust for Urban Ecology The Trust for Urban ecology, Urban Ecology (TRUE) is a London-based ecology, ecological organisation and is part of The Conservation Volunteers (formerly BTCV). The Trust for Urban Ecology was founded in 1976 when ecologist Max Nicholson and a gro ...

History

The wood was once part of the Great North Wood in the Manor of Dulwich. After the

Great Exhibition The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, also known as the Great Exhibition or the Crystal Palace Exhibition (in reference to the temporary The Crystal Palace, structure in which it was held), was an International Exhib ...

of 1851 in Hyde Park closed, the building was moved and re-erected on Penge Common, adjoining the wood. The area was rapidly developed, becoming known as Crystal Palace, and what is now the wood became the gardens of large houses. After the

burnt down in 1936 the area declined, and the houses were eventually demolished, while the gardens became overgrown. In 1981 the wood was entrusted to the Ecological Parks Trust, now the Trust for Urban Ecology, as a nature reserve.

Ecology

The site is mainly oak woodland, and some of the oak trees are over 300 years old. It also has many sycamores and other native trees, while some date from the Victorian gardens. There are over 200 species of fungus, and plants include wood anemones, bluebells, ramsons and yellow pimpernels. There is a wide variety of breeding birds.

Access

There is access in two places on Farquhar Road, one opposite Dulwich Wood Avenue.

References

{{LNRs in Greater London Local nature reserves in Greater London Nature reserves in the London Borough of Southwark