The London/Surrey boundary. Selsdon Woods

A SQUARE BY SQUARE LOOK AT LONDON
TQ 36 62 An area largely covered by woodland

Boundary London/Surrey/Croydon
The boundary crosses the southern edge of Bears Wood Scout Camp and continues west to the end of Court Wood Lane. It then turns south west to follow Baker Boy Lane as far as the edge of Puplet Wood when it curves away to the west and runs between Broom Wood and Broom Shaw following the southern edge of Hillocks Wood on a path named Farleigh Border.

Post to the west Farleigh Road
Post to the South Farleigh Court Road
Post to the east Farleigh Dean



On the London, Croydon side of the boundary
Selsdon Woods,
This had been part of the Selsdon Estate which had been used for hunting and shooting; It had been part of Selsdon Farm, sited further north but had become a shooting estate for various wealthy owners. However in the 1920s new owner began to cut the timber - It includes ancient woodland plus conifer and beech plantations with areas of open grassland. the Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society and the Surrey Garden Village Trust raised money for purchase. And in 1936 200 acres was handed over to the National Trust and opened by the Lord Mayor who lived locally. The woods and open land attracts at least 62 species of birds such as nuthatches, woodpeckers, treecreepers and tawny owls. Small mammals such as shrews, voles and mice have been recorded as well as weasels, badgers and Chinese muntjac deer.
Court Wood, is dominated by oak with hazel shrub. In the spring there is wood anemone and bluebells. An area of ash-maple woodland has a hazel understorey with common and midland hawthorn, crab apple and spindle while the ground flora includes wood spurge, dog's mercury, primrose, goldilocks and the purple and twayblade orchids. Larch , spruce and beech have taken place since 1969 on the advice of LB Croydon.
Steven's Larch was planted sometime before the First World War and harvested during the Second World War.
Selsdon Nature Reserve. This site was part of Selsdon farm in the ‘Croydon Crook’ area and throughout the 19th was owned by the Smith family. coppicing was undertaken until the Second World War but the wide rides indicate that the wood was managed for game cover too.
Broom Wood from 1924 owned by Cresswell
The Gorse from 1924 owned by Cresswell



On the Surrey, Tanderidge side of the boundary
Puplet Wood - Puplet is someone’s name
Broom Shaw from 1924 owned by Cresswell
Hagglers Dean

This material has been compiled over many years and from many different sources

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