Mill Hill Old Railway Nature Reserve

Mill Hill Old Railway Nature Reserve lies in the London Borough of Barnet. It follows the old trackbed of the Highgate to Edgware line, closed in 1964. The reserve stretches for 2.3 hectares between Deans Lane and Bunns Lane. Part of the route is a closed site owned by the borough and managed by the London Wildlife Trust. The rest borders Lyndhurst Park and remains unmanaged and overgrown. The site is mostly wooded with patches of rough grassland and herb-rich areas. It provides a home for slowworms and a range of wild flowers such as burnet saxifrage and the rare great burnet. Suburban gardens back onto the reserve, creating a habitat for birds like sparrowhawk, green and great spotted woodpeckers, long-tailed tit, chiffchaff and blackcap. Butterflies and moths are common, including orange-tip, small copper and hoverflies. The mosaic of gardens and wild patches supports a variety of invertebrates. The reserve offers a quiet green space within a built-up area. Visitors can walk along the old railway route and enjoy the mix of woodland and grassland habitats.