The 1960s gets a bad rep when it comes to reckless demolition, yet it was in the early 1990s that the Departments for Transport and Environment were on the verge of tearing down part of an 8,000-year-old wood in south London.
Oxleas Wood in Eltham was in serious danger of being rent in twain by a six-lane bypass, in what was nauseously billed the 'Roads to Prosperity' scheme. The planners said it was no biggie, and that they'd create a 'replica wood' nearby. The protesters said it'd be a "Disneyland absurdity". Woodland destruction like this was very much on the public conscience at the time; 1993 also saw the debut of kids' TV show The Animals of Farthing Wood, in which a group of animals are forced to flee their beleaguered habitat.
Fortunately, the voices of dissent grew so loud, the government couldn't ignore them, and in July 1993, Roads to Prosperity was nixed and Oxleas was saved (unlike the fictional Farthing Wood, which I seem to remember was totalled.)
Today, Oxleas Wood provides a bosky escape from London without officially leaving. Ambling along paths dappled by sunlight squeezing in through the canopy of oaks, sweet chestnuts and hornbeams, the noises of the outside world are softened into obscurity. Your ears tune into the subtler sounds around you — perhaps a hedgehog rustling in the undergrowth or a great spotted woodpecker having at it with a tree. Suddenly, you can imagine a be-cloaked highwayman hiding in the shrubbery, as many did here back in the mid 18th century.
It is admittedly a touch ironic that one of the most popular places in this natural beauty spot is manmade; no, not nearby Severndroog Castle (although that certainly warrants a visit), but Oxleas Wood Cafe. Standing on the site of what was previously a country house called Wood Lodge, the cafe presides over a singular vista of Oxleas Meadow and the woodland treetops of Oxleas and Shepherdleas Wood beyond, serving simple yet excellent food — omelettes, jacket potatoes, lasagnes, ploughman's — which is also notably cheaper than what's dished up at most of the park cafes in and around central London.
Open year round (and FYI Oxleas is famed for its spring bluebells) the cafe is well-used by those in the know, its picnic benches often heavily frequented by local families, couples and dog walkers — even mid-week. This is one of the finest cafe terraces in London after all. It's just that it happens to look nothing like London.
For more information on the woods, visit the Friends of Oxleas Woodlands website. For the most up to date info on the cafe follow it on Instagram
All images by Londonist
