Monken Hadley Common lies within the

Monken Hadley Monken Hadley is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. An ancient country village north of Barnet, it is now a suburban development on the very edge of Greater London north north-west of Charing Cross, while retaining much of its rural c ...

Conservation Area, and is listed as a “ Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade I,” by the

London Borough of Barnet The London Borough of Barnet () is a suburban London borough in North London. The borough was formed in 1965 from parts of the ceremonial counties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire. It forms part of Outer London and is the largest London borough ...

. It is registered common land, and it is owned by the Trustees of Monken Hadley Common.

Area

The common is a large area of about between Monken Hadley and

Cockfosters Cockfosters is a suburb of north London to the east of Chipping Barnet, lying partly in the London Borough of Enfield and partly in the London Borough of Barnet. Before 1965, it was in the counties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire. Origins ...

; it is long and wedge shaped, wide at the Monken Hadley end and tapering to a point at the Cockfosters end.

Access

There is access from Camlet Way, Parkgate Crescent, Covert Way, Games Road, Northfield Road, Baring Road (via Pymmes Brook Trail), Bakers Hill, and Hadley Common. The London Loop and Pymmes Brook Trail pass through the common.

History

The Common is a remnant of the former Royal Forest of Enfield Chase, which was enclosed by an Act of Parliament of 1777. A small part was allotted to the village of Monken Hadley, and this is the only land which has remained as a common. Until the 1950s, the commoners exercised their rights to use the land for grazing. The common is bisected by the East Coast Main Line, East Coast Main Railway Line.

Habitat

The common is mostly wooded, dominated by pedunculate oak, with some hornbeam, beech and field maples. Holly forms a dense understorey in some places, while elsewhere a more diverse shrub layer includes Midland hawthorn and hazel. Several ground flora species are ancient woodland indicators, suggesting that fragments have survived from before the time when the common was managed as wood-pasture. Butterflies include White-letter hairstreak, white-letter and purple hairstreak, purple hairstreaks, and there are breeding birds such as Eurasian sparrowhawk, sparrowhawk and tawny owl. Beech Hill Lake (or Jack's Lake) was formed by damming Pymme's Brook. It is managed for anglingHadley Angling and Preservation Society
/ref> but supports common waterfowl and Daubenton's bats use it for feeding, foraging low over the water. Two smaller ponds have a much richer flora and abundant amphibians, which attract grass snakes.

Gallery

File:Monken Hadley Common 1.JPG, Monken Hadley Common File:Monken Hadley Common 3.JPG, Woodland on the Common File:Jack's Lake, Monken Hadley Common.JPG, Jack's Lake File:Folly Bridge, Monken Hadley Common.jpg, Pymme's Brook

References

External links

Monken Hadley Common websiteMonken Hadley Common Act 2022 (c. ii)
{{Nature reserves in Barnet Nature reserves in the London Borough of Barnet Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Barnet Common land in London Monken Hadley