Coldfall Wood

Coldfall Wood is one of four woods in Haringey that are almost certainly ancient woodland, the others being Queens Wood, Highgate Wood (q.q.v) and Bluebell Wood. Until the early C20th Coldfall Wood covered more than twice its current extent, reaching south to the properties bordering Fortis Green. The southern section was felled and partially excavated for gravel before being used for residential development, and also for two schools, Tollington School and William Grimshaw School (later Fortismere School). In the 1920s Tollington School initially rented and felled part of the wood for a sports field but subsequently moved to a new building on the site. William Grimshaw School was built later to the north.

In 1930 Hornsey Council purchased the remaining woodland for public recreation. At one time a keeper of the wood was employed, who locked the woods at night; from the 1940s-70s this was Edward Hipwell, who lived with his wife in The Lodge near Creighton Avenue. During WWII the woods were used for field exercises by the army. Coldfall Wood is now owned and managed by LB Haringey, with assistance from The Conservation Volunteers (TVC) who undertake conservation activities, and The Friends of Coldfall Wood and Muswell Hill Playing Fields. The Friends of Muswell Hill Playing Fields (q.v.) had been set up in 1999 to counter a bid to develop the playing fields as a golf range and later expanded their remit to include Coldfall Wood. They organise a range of activities in the wood throughout the year, including themed walks.  

The western edge of the wood is the boundary line between the London Boroughs of Barnet and Haringey, and this and its northern boundaries are demarcated by the remains of an ancient wood-bank with a ditch on the outer side. This would have prevented grazing animals from the surrounding Finchley Common and Horseshoe Farm (as they then were) from entering the wood and destroying the young coppice. Coldfall Wood has been examined in some detail by Jonathan Silvertown (see Sources), who used historical sources to show that the woodlands are likely to have been continuously present since prehistoric times.  The wood is the site of discoveries that first led to the recognition that glaciation had once reached southern England.

In 2005 Coldfall Wood was selected as one of six Flagship Woods in London, to be included in the Capital Woodlands Project application to the HLF. This London Biodiversity Partnership bid was put together by a range of partners, including the Greater London Authority, the Forestry Commission, and several London Boroughs including Haringey, and was taken forward by Trees for Cities. In November 2005 the 3-year project was awarded £999,500. 

The improvement programme in Coldfall Wood consisted of a number of projects, which were completed over a three-year period. Coppicing, which had historically been used to manage the woodland up until the 1930s, had been largely discontinued, apart from some coppicing in the northern part of the wood in the early 1990s, was recommenced in November 2006. In just one year this resulted in an increase of ferns and flowering plants from 48 to 156 species. Coppicing involves cutting trees down at the base; new growth then comes from the stump and cut trees are left to naturally decay. The dead wood contributes to a healthy woodland by providing habitats for beetles, insects and fungi, which in turn provide food for birds, hedgehogs and other woodland species. Coppicing also allows in light for wildflowers and other plants thereby attracting butterflies and other creatures. Four new bridges were constructed and two new reed beds created; sloping tarmac paths were laid to improve access through the various entry gates, and welcome boards, noticeboards and interpretation panels were erected.

In 2009 Coldfall Wood was first awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award, which it has retained in subsequent years. In 2015 Coldfall Wood achieved forest certification under the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS), which sets out management standards for woodland owners and managers and is accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council. 

In 2019 the Friends of Coldfall Wood identified their top three priorities, which are to resolve the waterlogging issue that ends up with the boardwalk being flooded in wet weather conditions (with the water level up to 1.4m higher that the footway); to resurface the lit path; and to monitor and control invasive species, coppice management and water quality control.

Coldfall Wood is well used by the local community for recreation and formal and informal education. Visitors are mainly local residents, particularly dog walkers and families with young children. The wood provides a rich resource for local people to enjoy the natural world and is suitable for education at all ages. Coldfall Primary School, Fortismere School, Eden School and the Workers Educational Association use it for classes and guided walks as occasionally does the London Natural History Society. The Bat Conservation Trust has used Coldfall Wood to hold training for their ‘Count Bat’ project in the wood and at Coldfall Primary School, who donated classroom space. Teachers also learn forestry skills in the woods. Coldfall Primary School runs Forest Schools classes here and pick up litter on each visit; they have also designed posters to highlight the problem of dog fouling. Both the geography and biology departments of Fortismere have used Coldfall Wood in the past.