Belsize Wood, Nature reserve in Belsize Park, London, United Kingdom
Belsize Wood is a 0.7 hectare nature reserve in London with steeply sloping ground and a mix of tree species including elder, hawthorn, ash, Swedish white-beam, and sycamore. The woodland divides into sections because of its uneven terrain, creating distinct areas within the small reserve.
The land belonged to the Midland Railway Company in the 1860s and had a railway tunnel running underneath it. Camden Council purchased the site in 1971 and established it as the nature reserve that exists today.
The reserve sits next to the Grade I listed 1934 Isokon Flats, where landscape architect Christopher Tunnard designed paths and plantings that visitors can still walk today. His work shaped how the woodland connects to the modernist building beside it.
The northern section opens daily to visitors while the southern area is accessible only on weekends. The sloped and uneven ground with rocks and roots requires sturdy footwear and careful footing.
A railway ventilation shaft sits in the north-west corner, marking the tunnel that runs beneath the reserve. This hidden 19th-century infrastructure lies quietly underground while nature grows above it.
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