The landscape of Hampstead Heath has developed as a direct
result of its management and of how people have used it over many
years. The Heath's mosaic of habitats provide an important
ecological resource just four miles from the centre of London,
and it is of national as well as regional importance. The City
of London's dedicated conservation staff aim to maintain and extend
the Heath's status as one of London's best places for wildlife.
Hampstead Heath features a number of priority
species identified in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan,
including lesser spotted woodpecker, bullfinch, stag beetle
and grass snake.
Habitats on Hampstead Heath
From the C17th until the late C19th there were very few
trees and the Heath, which supported a mosaic of rich
heathland communities. When it came into public ownership, grazing
declined, allowing trees and shrubs to become established in the
C20th. Hampstead Heath today comprises a mosaic of grassland,
woodland, scrub, hedgerows, ponds and wetland habitats, with
remnant areas of the original heathland habitat.
Small areas of acid grassland are of particular
note, with plants such as heath bedstraw, oval sedge and
tormentil. Attempts are being made to retain, restore and
extend these areas where possible. Recent work by the
City of London and the
Heath
Hands volunteers has reinstated small areas of the rare
heathland habitat which gives Hampstead Heath its name. On
both sides of Spaniards Road heather flowers now provide a
burst of late summer colour. These replanted areas would
be greatly enhanced by increasing connectivity
between the parcels of habitat. The remnants of a
bog on West Heath contain several species of bog-moss and
water horsetail.
Most woodland on the Heath is ecologically
relatively new and is made up of birch, oaks and sycamore.
Scrub across the Heath is rather limited. Often negatively
regarded as merely ‘encroachment’ with associated loss of
grassland, scrub in the right context actually forms an
important habitat on the Heath, providing refuges for
birds, with reduced disturbance from people and dogs.
The hedgerows across the Heath are typically
dominated by hawthorn, with holly and elder. Some support the high
level of species diversity associated with ancient
hedgerows, with wild service tree, hornbeam and midland
hawthorn present. A particularly good network of hedges remains on
the Heath Extension. There are over 800 identified veteran trees on
the Heath.
There are over 30 ponds on the Heath ranging in
size and character.
Species on Hampstead Heath
Fungi and plants
Over 350 species of fungi have been recorded on
the Heath, including the rare bracket fungus Ganoderma
lucidum.
Woodland areas contain plants such as broad
leaved helleborine, lady fern, hard fern and lily of the valley.
Some of the Heath's grasslands are coloured by cowslips, black
knapweed and oxeye daisy. Devil's-bit scabious is found
on Sandy Heath. A regionally important population of
pignut is found on the middle slopes of the Heath. Wetland areas
hold marsh marigolds, purple loosetrife and water mint.
Invertebrates
A quarter of Britain’s spiders have been
found on Hampstead Heath, including the tube-web spider
Atypus affinis at its only known London site . Twenty
three species of butterfly, including breeding colonies of the
woodland species white-letter hairstreak and purple hairstreak
can be seen. Grassland species, such as meadow brown and
gatekeeper have shown increases in numbers since mowing
regimes have been relaxed. Grasshoppers and cricket
numbers have also increased with six species recorded,
including the common green grasshopper, which is in national
decline. Seventeen species of dragonfly and damselfly
have been recorded at ponds across the Heath. This is only two
species less than the list for the whole of the neighbouring
county of Hertfordshire.
Birds
Over 180 bird species have been recorded on the
Heath. All three species of woodpecker breed here. Garden
warbler and blackcap are summer visitors to the
woodland. Scrub areas support small numbers of whitethroat and
sometimes lesser whitethroat. The ancient woodland in the
Kenwood Estate holds populations of jackdaw and stock dove,
neither of which are common in London. Hedgerows
support bullfinch and song thrush which have both shown a
rapid decline in the UK recently. Birds of prey include
kestrels, sparrowhawks and, increasingly, hobby.
The wetlands have breeding great crested
grebes, reed warbler and common tern and 2001 saw the welcome
return of breeding kingfishers, which made use of a sand-bank
specially constructed to offer them a suitable nest site. They are
now regular breeders. In winter the ponds hold shoveler, gadwall,
pochard and, rarely, goldeneye.
Migration can be exciting on the heath with
large numbers of swallows and meadow pipits. A wide variety of
speces can pass through including regular wheatear
and redstart and occasional whinchat, redpoll and woodcock. Siskin,
redwings and fieldfare are common on hedgerows in the
winter.
Animals
Hampstead Heath is renowned as one of the best
places to see bats in London and Natterer’s, Daubenton’s, noctule,
and both species of pipistrelle are present. Moles, foxes,
hedgehogs and occasional muntjac deer are other mammals found on
the Heath. The fascinating and totally harmless grass snake is
found here at one of its closest loations to the centre of
London.
Future management of the Heath will need to
consider methods to protect and enhance the ecological
diversity whilst balancing the demands for formal and informal
recreation activities. The City of London faces this difficult
task of protecting the integrity of the Heath's nature
resource whilst encouraging contact with wildlife.
Want to get involved?
Click here to visit the Heath Hands site.
Managing the Heath's water
Hydrology study of the
Heath (1.6mb)