Burtonhole Lane and Pasture

Burtonhole Lane and Pasture is a 6.5-hectre nature site in the London Borough of Barnet, between Mill Hill and Totteridge. It includes the old green lane now used as a footpath and bridleway, two fields south of the path, and a narrow belt of woodland north of it. Burtonhole Brook, a tributary of Folly Brook, crosses the lane and the fields. The lane is flanked by tall hedgerows and woodland strips with stately oaks and ashes. The site supports a wide range of wildlife. Birds such as chaffinch, goldcrest and green woodpecker live here, along with mammals like stoat, weasel and bank vole. Frogs breed in a wet ditch at the base of the hedgerows. The fields are old London clay grassland, mainly Yorkshire fog with some tufted hair-grass. Damper areas and the brook support a much more diverse flora. Visitors walk the old green lane, now a public footpath and bridleway. Tall hedgerows and woodland strips line the route, with stately oaks and ashes standing along it. The two fields south of the path show old London clay grassland, while damper areas near Burtonhole Brook hold a richer variety of plants. The brook itself adds to the diversity of the site.