national nature reserve covering acres london borough woods national nature reserve urban area england receiving green flag award local nature reserve national nature reserve evidence settlements found woods archaeological excavations timber woods building nationally significant buildings locally great barn built oak woods ownership woods passed manor cambridge years sold local authority remaining woods purchased owners formed history use wood dated barbed discovered metal user excavation measuring inches length found lying oval pit fragments pottery indicating collection domestic waste settlement woods remains dense woodland covered county middlesex prehistoric times woodland cleared time farming housing following norman conquest england given manor included woods recognition service passed manor abbey ownership timber woods construction tower london windsor castle manor black prince locally great barn site constructed oak woods cambridge lords manor manor remained ownership cambridge town planning competition led design chosen envisaged clearance woods historic sites way homes residents manor planning scheme adapted original presented public february approved september outbreak world war halted construction work time new roads completed resume february woods included sale urban district council sold old included gift people king wished present wood gift required act receive payment trustee land contributed cost urban district council argued use land recreational day outside district year lease council agreed maintain wood ensure new building constructed permission county council area wood south included lease agreement residential roads later constructed purchased joined year urban district council middlesex purchased acres wood compulsory purchase sir built destroyed fire ruins demolished house originally private home second world war united_states military train agents missions occupied france woods national nature reserve urban area england established year charity dedicated conservation woods encouraging greater public interaction june new road cycle trail unveiled named head democratic services recognition long service borough david cycle trail covering kilometres officially opened june flora fauna main species trees woods include english oak oak beech silver birch wild service tree field maple crack willow wild cherry holly wild flowers abundance woods include common heather yellow according london borough common species birds found woods mute swan canada robin green jay lesser spotted greater spotted tree owl willow cattle year maintain level vegetation wild mammals include grey species bat live woods management reserve covers woods mad wood wood poor field lake reserve definitive explanation received theory named female landowner patrolled wood looking woods managed london borough inherited council maintains volunteer run grounds reservoir received green flag award woods rotation years timber sold local time took ownership manor woods let shooting woods continues today year rotation aid natural growth woodland ducks hill road road north pass woods respectively
Ruislip Woods