Enfield Chase, North London
About the project
A former royal hunting ground, Enfield Chase was once a landscape of ancient woodland, meadows and wild rivers. But over the years, trees were felled and rivers straightened and dredged, so that only a few fragments of this historic landscape now remain.
The negative impact of this loss is significant. Soil has been degraded and wildlife habitats destroyed, leading to a huge loss of biodiversity. The rivers have been disconnected from their natural floodplains, meaning that water flows downstream too quickly during storms, increasing flood risks downstream.
Objective
The aim is to convert up to 1,000 hectares of farmland into a publicly accessible nature space which links the area’s existing parks and open spaces. The plan is to create hundreds of hectares of new woodland, with ponds and wetlands that will be easily accessed through a network of footpaths and cycleways.
Impact
This is one of the largest nature restoration projects close to a large city anywhere in the UK, delivering sustainable benefits locally, regionally and nationally.
How do we measure this impact?
Number of trees planted
Number of hectares restored
Tons of CO2 eq absorbed**
Community members involved
Students involved
Jobs created
Supporting this project means supporting the following Sustainable Development Goals:
