I live in London, England and have lived in five different houses up to present time. Each time I have moved, as a child and adult I have moved outwards from the centre of London. I still live in the London area codes but now on the outskirts. The centre of London is still only 22 miles away but I live near ancient woods : Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve is 'ancient semi natural woodland' and some parts are a remnant of the Wildwood that once completely covered England after the last ice age, about 8,000 years ago. When the land was first cleared for agriculture some woodland was left to provide timber and firewood. In the case of Ruislip Woods the native trees are oaks and hornbeams. Coppicing of hornbeams is known to have occurred for over five centuries up to the 1930's but it steadily reduced thereafter and ceased by the 1950's. Coppicing restarted in 1982 and, once more, the Woods are actively managed.
I feel privileged to live so close to the centre of London but am surrounded by these woods. My id pic shows Bluebells growing wild just across the end of my road. My current house , The Moorings has very tall oak trees that were once part of the great Ruislip woods.
This is dated but shows the Long Horn cattle that graze these woods
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
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