The (almost) vanished great Forest of Middlesex

London's expansion over the last few centuries is legendary. Many station names on London's Underground hint at lost greenery, especially in the northern section of the Piccadilly Line - Finsbury Park, Wood Green, Bounds Green, Arnos Grove and Oakwood. So was there some great lost forest covering what is now north London?

Yes, there was. The great Forest of Middlesex once covered the area, and stretched for 20 miles north from London’s city walls at Houndsditch. The Romans had to cut a path through the forest for the creation of their road, Watling Street, heading north-west through St Albans.

Later the forest was used as a hunting ground by English kings, but lost its royal protection in 1218 and passed into private ownership, becoming farmed and developed gradually from this time onwards.

A part of it called Tottenham Wood survived for many centuries and Wood Green was a hamlet on the edge of it. Nearby Seven Sisters is named after seven elms encircling a famous walnut tree. The London neighbourhood of St John's Wood is named for that part of the forest later owned by the Order of St John of Jerusalem.

Pockets of the ancient oak-hornbeam Forest that still remain include Perivale Wood, Harrow Weald Common, Highgate Wood (pictured), Queen's Wood, North Wood in Kenwood, and Scratchwood. There are a number of pleasant walks through these individual areas. For example, Queen's Wood is now one of three Local Nature Reserves in the Borough of Haringey. It is situated a few minutes' walk from Highgate tube station. The bird life is diverse and includes three species of woodpecker. Over one hundred species of spiders have been spotted and a nationally rare jewel beetle is widespread.

Many Londoners are probably blissfully unaware of the enduring ancient habitats that still exist inside their conurbation.