This amazing site in Harold Hill which includes Hatters Wood, Fir Wood, Duck Wood and Dagnam Park offers a diversity of different wildlife habitats.
The site includes almost twenty hectares of colourful wildflower meadows, over eight hectares of ancient coppiced woodland, ponds, scrub and veteran trees.
Not only that but the site also preserves a fascinating historical record which stretches back into the Middle Ages.
Dagnam park, formally laid out by the well known Victorian landscape architect Humphrey Repton, preserves its original 18th century boundaries together with a number of original landscape features including copses, ponds and specimen trees.
Look out for mature conifers, horse chestnuts and cedar.
The site of the original house is now overgrown, but a line of yew trees survives in woodland close to the spot where 19th century cast-iron gateposts flank the former drive.
There is also a scheduled ancient monument, Cockerell's moated site (of Dagnam Park Farm), in the south of the site - now a well known breeding pond for great crested newts.
There is also evidence of medieval field patterns and see if you can spot the medieval road running along the sites eastern boundary.
The nature conservation interest in Dagnam Park, Hatters Wood and Fir Wood is recognised in its designation by the Greater London Authority as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.
Nearby Duck Wood is also designated as a site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation.
Location map
Special plants and animals
Ancient woodland, wildflower meadows, wild service tree, small leaved lime, bluebell, great crested newt, veteran trees, common spotted-orchid, square stemmed St Johns wort, fine-leaved water-dropwort, skylark, yellowhammer, hawfinch.
The site is 68 hectares.
Access
There is a 700m hardened pathway suitable for bicycles, pushchairs and wheelchairs running through Dagnam Park.
Duck Wood also has a circular hardened pathway approximately 1km in length.
From Lower Noke Close there is a pathway leading to Dagnam Park.
There is pedestrian access to Dagnam Park at entrances from Settle Road and Sedgefield Crescent.
There is an entrance to Hatters Wood from Tring Close.
Access to Duck Wood can be made from Sheffield Drive.
Parking
One main car park off Settle Road in the south of the site.