Spoiling  Park Wood
(1957)

JUST recently there has been a suggestion for a D-Ring road to go through the built-up area of Middlesex. The tenants whose houses were affected received the plan with such strong protests that new plans had to be drawn up. The latest plan is that it should go through Park Wood. This means that Park Wood will be cut into two parts and all the wildlife in it destroyed. Wildlife in neighbouring woods such as Mad Bess Wood and Copse Wood will also suffer.

There are many different kinds of animals in Park Wood. Grey squirrels, mice, moles, shrews, hedgehogs, stoats and grass snakes are fairly common. Brown hares are frequently seen in the woods and don't seem very afraid of human beings. Park Wood has many birds both common and rare. There are nearly always herons to be seen in the wood and green and great spotted woodpeckers are regular nesters. The lesser spotted woodpecker has also been seen. If I mentioned every bird which nests there it would make a long list but the wildlife in Park Wood is very interesting.

The Wood has supplied many famous places with oak wood. In 1839, King Edward III ordered twenty-four oaks to be delivered to Nicholas de la Beche, Constable of the Tower, for timber works in the Tower of London. In 1344, Brother John Walerand was appointed by the King to take timber from Ruislip woods and take it to Windsor Castle, Brother John Walerand again received orders in 1846 and 1347 to take timber from Ruislip woods and deliver it at Westminster Palace. Another kind of wood which grows in Park Wood is hombeam. This wood was used by the people of Ruislip for firewood. The selling of wood was once one of Ruislip's main industries and it is probably because of this that Ruislip has few very old trees left.

It would be a pity if the homes of the animals and birds were destroyed by a D-Ring road cutting through this lovely and historic wood.

P. D. M. WALL IB