The Friends of Littleheath Woods



News


Giant Hogweed

You may have seen warnings about giant hogweed and how it can cause very serious skin problems if touched. We do have some hogweed in the fields but it is not giant hogweed. The smaller version can still cause irritation for those with sensitive skin but is no more serious than stinging nettles.
The Woodland Trust have some excellent advice here:

Annual General Meeting 2024

Our AGM was held in the Garden Room of St Johns Church, Upper Selsdon Road, Wednesday 22nd May 2024.
The Minutes  are available below.


FoLW_AGM_Minutes May 2024.pdf FoLW_AGM_Minutes May 2024.pdf
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Ash Dieback (Chalara)

Sadly the above has now reached Littleheath Woods. Very obvious are the ash saplings which had grown to 5 – 12ft and which are now mostly leafless. Some have pushed out new leaves low down on the trunk but these too are failing. The Councils Forestry Contractor has (September 23) carried out a survey of the remaining ash trees.
Chalara is a fungus which blocks the water transport system of the tree causing leaf loss and trunk lesions and although the younger trees are the first to suffer, already noticeable is the deterioration in the crowns of some of our large ash trees. We will monitor them carefully and it may be that some of the more mature specimens will be able to survive despite suffering the disease. However, sadly, we must be prepared to lose a large number of these lovely native trees. Hopefully, in the future, a resistant strain will be developed and we will be able to replant.

Ward Boundaries, Local Policing and Neigbourhood Safety Officers

Littleheath Woods sits within the Ward of Selsdon and Addington Village. Our local Councillors are Cllr Joseph Lee (joseph.lee@croydon.gov.uk) and Cllr Robert Ward (robert.ward@croydon.gov.uk).

Our Local Policing Team details can be found here: https://www.police.uk/metropolitan/00AHGP/
You can contact the team on 020 8721 2464 or email them at sntzd-selsdonandaddingtonvillage@met.police.uk

Timber Piles and Logs for Woodburners

The Friends of Littleheath Woods construct Habitat Piles using sawn and fallen trees to build homes for insects and other wildlife. Please do not disturb the piles of logs or take timber away from the woods for your wood burner.

The Friends are able to supply seasoned logs for your woodburning stove in return for a small donation. You can 'Contact us' or phone Brian Stone, contact details on the contact us page.



Vanguard Way

The Vanguard Way runs from East Croydon through Litleheath Woods to Newhaven, 66 miles. Their February 2025 Newsletter is available below.

VGA News 14 Feb 2025.pdf VGA News 14 Feb 2025.pdf
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Horses in Littleheath Woods

Horse riding is permitted in the woods - there is one bridleway and one permissive bridleway. Unfortunately we have had a number of reports and seen evidence of riders using other areas of the woods.

Not all areas of the woods are suitable for horse riding. Horses can cause damage to habitats and churn up pathways, making them unusable in wet weather. Many of the non-bridalway paths also have hazards, such as badger sets and overhanging branches, that make them dangerous for both horse and rider. Many dog walkers also let their dogs off the lead in areas away from the bridleways and we want to avoid incidents that could be bad for the dog or horse.

We would therefore like to remind horse riders that they have to stick to the bridleways when using the woods. If anyone sees a horse being riden in other areas of the woods, please contact the Friends group with a description of the horse & rider (e.g. colour of horse, gender & approx age of rider, colour of riders’ clothing, etc.) so that we can bring this to the attention of the local stables and hopefully prevent any further incidents.



The latest minutes of meetings can be found in the documents below: