Burnham Beeches National Nature Reserve has been awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award, recognising it as one of the very best managed open spaces in the world.
The award identifies and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the UK and around the world.
The site was assessed by an independent panel of judges on several criteria, including accessibility and signage, safety, cleanliness, quality of facilities and activities, community engagement, and how the management of the site is helping to combat the effects of climate change.
Comprising 220 hectares of wood pasture and common, Burnham Beeches has been owned and managed by the Corporation as a registered charity since 1880 and attracts over 500,000 visitors a year
It has been a Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1951, was declared a National Nature Reserve in 1993, and designated as a Special Area of Conservation in 2005.
Chairman of the City Corporation’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee, Ben Murphy, said:
“Burnham Beeches is a unique landscape, offering a mixture of ancient woodland, wood pasture, heathland, and more. At only a mile square, it’s almost like the New Forest in miniature.
“It is a great place to explore and is steeped in history. To help bring this alive, a new augmented reality app allows visitors to experience different periods in time, from the Iron and Middle Ages, right through to World War II when the area was used by the army to hide vehicles before the D-Day landings.
“Regular visitors will know that one of the site’s most prominent features are the veteran Beech and Oak pollarded trees, which provide a stable habitat for many rare and endangered deadwood species.
“Every year, the judges’ standards continue to rise. These awards demonstrate just how effective our management plans are in protecting and preserving our open spaces for future generations to enjoy.
“It also shows how the Corporation’s investment is having a real impact on local communities in and around our capital city.
“I would like to thank both our hard-working staff and passionate team of volunteers, who are the real winners of this award.”
The Corporation manages a network of 11,000 acres of internationally important open spaces across London and southeast England – including Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath, and West Ham Park – investing over £38m a year.
Many of these sites operate as charitable trusts and are run at little or no cost to the communities they serve.
They include a wide variety of critically important wildlife habitats, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Areas of Conservation, and National Nature Reserves, and are protected under legislation.
A recent report revealed that the network of internationally important open spaces managed by the City Corporation are worth £282.6 million each year in benefits to society, and £8.1 billion over 50 years.
In total, they attract over 47 million visitors every year – more than three times the number who go to Premier League football matches every season, and almost eight times the number of annual visitors to the Grand Canyon.
ENDS
Notes to editors
The Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile, dedicated to a vibrant and thriving City, supporting a diverse and sustainable London within a globally-successful UK – .
The Green Flag Award® scheme is run by the environmental charity, Keep Britain Tidy and sets the benchmark for the management of outdoor spaces across the UK and around the world – www.keepbritaintidy.org/green-flag-award.
Green Heritage Site Accreditation, supported by Historic England, is given in recognition of achieving the required standard in the management and interpretation of a site with local or national historic importance.
To receive Green Heritage Site Accreditation sites must also achieve Green Flag Award – www.historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/parks-gardens-and-landscapes/green-flag.
Full list of Corporation Green Flag Award Winners:
- Burnham Beeches National Nature Reserve
- Ashtead Common
- Bunhill Fields
- Cemetery and Crematorium
- Coulsdon Common
- Epping Forest
- Farthing Downs & New Hill
- Hampstead Heath
- Highgate Wood
- Kenley Common
- Queen’s Park
- Riddlesdown
- Spring Park
- West Ham Park
- West Wickham Common
Full list of Corporation Green Heritage Site Accreditations:
- Burnham Beeches National Nature Reserve
- Ashtead Common
- Bunhill Fields
- Cemetery and Crematorium
- Coulsdon Common
- Epping Forest
- Farthing Downs & New Hill
- Hampstead Heath
- Highgate Wood
- Kenley Common
- Queen’s Park
- Riddlesdown
- West Wickham Common
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