Inventory Site Record

Cherry Wood is a 1.65 hectare remnant of old woodland that once covered a larger area but was eventually built over by residential development. In 1837 it is shown on the Tithe Map as Great Wood, and, now surrounded by 1930s suburban housing, it is dominated by pedunculate oak trees. Until 1990 it was neglected and used as a dump, but work to enhance it was then undertaken by LB Merton and Cherry Wood was established as a nature reserve in 2000.

Previous / Other name:

Cherry Wood Open Space

Site location:

Northernhay Walk/Shaldon Drive

Postcode:

SM4 4BB

What 3 Words:

force.nails.curvy

Type of site:

Public Open Land

Borough:

Merton

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

unrestricted

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Tube: Morden (Northern) then bus. Rail: South Merton/Morden South. Bus: 163.

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Research updated:

21/03/2025

Last minor changes:

21/03/2025

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. http://www.merton.gov.uk/environment/openspaces/naturereserves

The origin of the name is not known; Anglo-Saxon derivations for 'Cherry' can signify a family name or mean a church. An isolated fragment of former woodland is in the grounds of Hillcross Middle School, used as a nature study area. The Friends of Cherry Wood was set up in 1992 and the group has been active in preserving the woodland; work has included planting native trees and shrubs, installing nesting boxes and clearing bramble.

Cherry Wood is a small, mainly oak woodland lying in suburban Morden within an area of housing developed in the 1930s with an additional small remnant of the wood now isolated within the grounds of Hillcross Middle School.The northern boundary of the main woodland area corresponds with the boundary of the old parishes of Merton and Morden, which may be medieval in origin, and which may be connected with the present day road name of Northernhay (North Hedge) Walk. Traces of a ditch exist along the northern and northwestern boundary of the wood, corresponding to the Parish boundary. Local people who were present in the 1930’s confirmed in the 1990's ditches were still well defined and ran in the winter months. The 1st edition O.S. map (1865 but based on an earlier survey) clearly shows that the wood was in its present location in 1837 when it appears to be the only significant area of woodland in the immediate area. This raises the possibility that it was preserved or planted as a covert for game birds or foxes. The larger oaks in the wood have a dbh (diameter-breast-height) of up to 100cm but with most averaging 50cm this suggests ages of between 100 to 200 years. Thus the wood has been in existence from at least the end of the C18th.

In 1910 a golf course was laid out in the area which may have severed the “foot” from this “leg of mutton” shaped site, a process finalised by the construction of Monkleigh Rd during the housing development of the 1930s. There is a small separate fragment of the woodland still in existence and used as the nature study area in the grounds of Hillcross Middle School.

In 1976 a fire occurred in the wood during the hot summer but the vegetation recovered fairly rapidly. However littering and other incidents then led to more interest with the creation of the Friends of Cherry Wood, formed in 1992, and Merton Council undertaking some additional planting and basic maintenance work.

Sources consulted:

Ian Yarham, Dave Dawson, Martin Boyle, Rebecca Holliday 'Nature Conservation in Merton, Ecology Handbook 29', London Ecology Unit, 1998, p85; P Guest for LB Merton 'Cherry Wood Management Plan' (1998)

Grid ref:

TQ243680 (524350,168050)

Size in hectares:

1.65

Site ownership:

LB Merton

Site management:

Leisure and Culture Services; Friends of Cherry Wood

Date(s):

Designer(s):

Listed structures:

None

On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens:

No

Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965:

No

Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931:

No

Local Authority Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:

No

In Conservation Area:

No

Tree Preservation Order:

No

Nature Conservation Area:

Yes - Borough Importance II

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

No

Other LA designation:

Local Nature Reserve. Public Open Space