The Friends of Garthorne Road Nature Reserve is opening the reserve for the last time this year as we close over the winter months. Come and have a look at our six new information boards funded partly by the Kenneth White Legacy and The Worshipful Company of Gardeners and also come and explore this green quiet oasis and support us.
We will be also having the usual children’s Mini Beast hunt and also a tree trail will be available.
Suggested Donation £2
Bring a picnic and enjoy the nature listen to the birds and see the bees.
Sorry No Dogs or BBQS allowed
Please use public transport or use a bike we have limited bike secure area
Honor Oak Park Station: London Overground & Southern Rail
Entrance on Beadnell Road next to Garthorne Road alleyway.
The Reserve is now closed for winter and will reopen in March 2026
The Friends look forward to your visit, offering the public a chance to explore this quiet oasis in Forest Hill and see what has been done to improve the site during the winter shutdown. Bring along a picnic to enjoy.
Our Open Days are on the Third Saturday of each month from March – October.
March 21th
April 18th
May 16th
June 20th
July 18th
August 15th
September 19th – Annual Bake-off
October 17th
Sorry No Dogs, BBQ’S or cycling allowed on the reserve
The Friends will be opening the Garthorne Road Nature Reserve for this year so the public can explore this ‘Quiet oasis in Forest Hill’ and important part of the Green railway corridor between New Cross Gate and Forest Hill. Why not bring along a picnic.
Our Open Days are on the 3rd Saturday of each month from March – October.
June 15th – Art in Nature
July 20th
August 17th
September 21st – Annual Bake-off
October 19th
Sorry No Dogs, BBQ’S or cycling allowed on the reserve
The Nature’s Gym spent a happy few hours in Garthorne Road last week (18th August 2016), creating butterfly scallops in the woodland. Even as we were working we saw meadow browns and large whites and a few others that refused to keep still, so we couldn’t identify them. This is an on going management plan and hopefully will result in more butterflies and with any luck some flora. We did uncover some purple loosestrife and rosebay willow herb, and I think there may be a number of other dormant plants just waiting to be uncovered!
Why create scallops?
Woodlands are fantastic habitats for wildlife and including the 40 species of British butterfly. Open space is the most important part of a woodland for butterflies, especially on its edge habitat where the warmest conditions are to be found. Many woodlands have lost this vital habitat, but they are easy to recreate. The best woodland edges support a varied habitat structure. Cutting scallops creates a varied, zoned edge structure and also reduce shading along the adjacent ride and have great potential to improve any existing ride side butterfly habitat. They will increase the overall structural diversity of the woodland and provide sheltered herb-rich grassy areas.
We have followed the ‘Linear Cutting Regime’ with offset scallops) –Â which creates a far more varied habitat. For more information on scallops and why they are a great way to create new habitats, you might find this leaflet from The Butterfly Conservation Trust useful.
(Lots more information can be found on the Butterfly Conservation Trust website)
Other wildlife found in Garthorne Road
The rarely seen, tree climbing reindeer of Garthorne Road
Garthorne Road Nature Reserve 