Dacres Wood Nature Reserve
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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11-10-2008 03:44 PM
Walked past today and looks interesting but locked up. I undertstand it is probably locked for very good reasons but there was no signadvising whether it is open certain days to the public ( like The Devonshire Road NR )
Does anyone know please
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Scorpion
Posts: 178
Joined: Nov 2005
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12-10-2008 02:26 PM
Hi Brian,
Despite a google or two, I haven't found any contact details, only some information about the site, the Croydon Canal, the woods and Nature Reserve etc. apart from what is on Lewisham Council's own website
http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/LeisureAndCul...acresWood/
I guess you will have to contact Greenscene, who seem to be the ones who run it, to find out more?
It's a pity that it was not open to the public this weekend, as the good weather will have brought many people outside
(although, maybe it might have been open today? I seem to recall that Sunday is a popular day for places such as this to be open)
Thanks for mentioning it, actually, as it has made me think that I would indeed like to visit this place myself, soon, as I have not done so yet

Sue
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Perryman
Posts: 823
Joined: Dec 2006
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12-10-2008 11:33 PM
I used to go there all the time with the kids when it was permanently open. We loved it. It was locked up a few years ago and that was that.
Today looking through the bars of the gate, the paths in there seem to be worn so someone still has free access - lucky them.
OK it is a reserve, so public access should be restricted, but there should be regular open days to the public - preferably once a month. There is no excuse - SE23 is densely populated on the east side and we need all the breathing space we can get.
The same obviously goes for the garthorne rd nature reserve.
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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13-10-2008 11:26 AM
Hi Perryman
Thanks.
The Devonshire Road nature reserve has open days roughly 1 Sunday a month. They also ask for volunteers to assist in looking after the reserve..
The Dacres Road reserve looks interesting seems to be a lake ( or pond ) . I appreciate they have to keep locked up most of the time but would be great to have open days. Unlike the Dev Road reserve there is no notice at the entrance giving details
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michael
Posts: 3,265
Joined: Mar 2005
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13-10-2008 01:04 PM
I know that Councillor Susan Wise is working to find a way to open up this site to the public on limited numbers of days.
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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13-10-2008 01:37 PM
Michael Thanks and also to Susan.
It is certainly a pity occasional access not granted. If not one could ask for what purpose is it there.
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Perryman
Posts: 823
Joined: Dec 2006
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13-10-2008 11:39 PM
That is no mere pond brian.
That is the last section of the old canal in SE23.
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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14-10-2008 09:08 AM
Thanks Perryman
The route of the canal is very interesting. Although the railway company purchased the canal about 1840 it does not run in exactly the same course. Hence Davids Rd wharf etc.
I was not sure that it ran through the reserve and indeed would be even more interested in visiting .
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Perryman
Posts: 823
Joined: Dec 2006
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14-10-2008 09:54 PM
Brian - I'm not sure about this Davids Rd Wharf.
There must have been some sort of wharf near the dartmouth arms, but it is not marked on the maps.
As discussed here before, the havelock walk studios were mostly stables not warehouses - and in any case were built after the canal had closed.
I'm sure someone will correct me if I've got this wrong.
But sure, it is well established that the canal went along what is now Davids Road.
If you ever get to stand at the back of Dacres Rd reserve, you'll see why the canal had to deviate from its course - Pigs (peak) hill is a significant obstacle.
An obstacle the canal diggers had to work around, while the railway builders had the money and manpower (and machinery?) to cut straight through.
So the site is not only an attractive nature reserve, it is important historically too. I think we can all agree it should be be regularly open to the public.
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shzl400
Posts: 729
Joined: Oct 2007
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15-10-2008 12:22 PM
I was once told that the wall with the brick carving & plaque outside the Hob was part of the original canal and the ramp down (also original) was access to the water.
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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15-10-2008 01:48 PM
Yes I also was told about David's Rd raised footpath which I was told was canal bank.
Of course could be wrong.
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billham
Posts: 115
Joined: Nov 2007
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Perryman
Posts: 823
Joined: Dec 2006
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16-10-2008 01:42 AM
I was once told that the wall with the brick carving & plaque outside the Hob was part of the original canal and the ramp down (also original) was access to the water.
Both look the part but they are just themed street architecture, IMO.
Presumably built to match the thin strip of water the designers of FH retained along the west side of davids rd a little further up.
I'm sure I've read the swing bridge outside (now) WHSmiths was also retained long after the canal closed
Maybe retaining a 'canal theme' increased property prices.
The actual working canal was much wider: ~30', and by my calculations this 'canal wall'/ramp/plaque is located right in the middle of it!
In any case, the canal company did not have the money to build fancy redbrick walls and ramps in the middle of fields - that sort of spending money came with the railway and subsequent development.
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billham
Posts: 115
Joined: Nov 2007
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16-10-2008 09:19 AM
Looking in more detail at the route map would suggest that you are right Perryman. Although the canal follows the line of Davids Road if the map is correct it was actually located between Davids Road and Havelock Walk so the wall outside the Hob would be on the wrong side and the ramp couldn't lead to the water.
A shame if that is so because I always liked to think that was a little bit of history that had survived!
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seeformiles
Posts: 269
Joined: Apr 2005
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16-10-2008 10:05 AM
I helped out at Dacres Road nature reserve with the Green Gym which is run by the BTCV. Join the local group and you'll get to have a look round. We were there because it gets repeatedly vandalised and we had to pull debris out of the pond. Pots of paint and building equipment had been slung in too. Industrial fly-tippers it seems.
I got to wear a pair of fetching fisherman's waders.
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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billham
Posts: 115
Joined: Nov 2007
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16-10-2008 02:11 PM
A voluntary environmental and conservation group. Their web site is
http://www.btcv.org
Interestingly if you look there (as I did) you will hunt high and low for what those letters mean. The explanation is (courtesy of Wikipedia) that it used to be the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers but now they are just BTCV which is their name and not an acronym for their former name...sounds a bit like Yes, Minister!
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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councillorsusanwise
Posts: 76
Joined: Mar 2005
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10-03-2009 02:03 PM
I am very pleased that we are holding an event at Lewisham Council's Dacres Wood Nature Reserve. The site is not open to the public on a regular basis for resource reasons, but I have been trying for some time to get interested people together to enable that to happen. (Please see my recent article in the FH Society newsletter). This visit will give an update on the reserve's history, what is at the site and possibilities for the future.
It will take place Sunday 29/03/09 at 2pm, and please meet at Homefield House, Dacres Road SE23 as the reserve is just behind the estate.
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brian
Posts: 2,002
Joined: Apr 2005
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10-03-2009 02:06 PM
Susan
This is excellent news. Should be able to attend
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