Unigate Woods

Unigate Wood is located on what was once part of the 'Great North Wood', which once cloaked a large area of South London. It was then cleared and formed the grounds of a large house and garden, which was one of the first of the famous 'Streatham Spas', visited for drinking medicinal waters. It then formed part of a network of fields which were grazed by cattle from a large dairy, which was later demolished. As a consequence of its long and fascinating history, Unigate Wood contains a diversity of broadleaf trees like English Oak and Grey Poplar, along with more exotic species like damsons, Horse Chestnut and bamboo. Lying on a steep slope it provides a precious wildlife sanctuary between housing estates of varying vintages. Unigate Wood is a new Local Nature Reserve (LNR) for Lambeth, declared in 2022, in recognition of its importance for biodiversity but also people's access to and enjoyment of nature on their doorstep.