As part of their work to protect and save the green spaces the Foundation has been instrumental in winning various recognitions and formal designations for the sites. These designations mean that the site's importance is officially recognised by various government agencies. This helps the Fourth Reserve conserve these green spaces, boost biodiversity and save Buckthorne Nature Reserve and Gorne Wood for future generations. 

 

A hidden treasure
The New Cross to Forest Hill Railway Cutting is one of London’s important areas of natural heritage and is one of the Borough of Lewisham's hidden treasures. It is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. The railway cutting is important on a London-wide scale, as it is one of only three Metropolitan SINC sites in the borough of Lewisham, (the other two are Blackheath and Beckenham Place Park).

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The section known as Gorne Wood, between Courtrai Road SE23 and Eddystone Road SE4, has an Ancient Woodland designation as it has been continuously wooded since at least 1600. The Buckthorne Cutting stretch also has a designation as a Locally Important Geological Site due to examples of septarian nodules in situ along the railway bank.

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If you want the details: 

 

The M122 Forest Hill to New Cross Gate Railway Cutting has the following policy designations / protections.

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1. Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation

The entire M112 SINC corridor is designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. This demonstrates its significance as containing some of the best examples of London’s habitats. These may include particularly rare species or sites which are of particular significance within the otherwise heavily built-up areas of London. They are of the highest priority for protection.

 

2. Green Corridor
The entire M112 SINC corridor is designated a Green Corridor. These linear green spaces form important green infrastructure links in the city. Together they form vital ecological networks that allow the movement of wildlife.

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3. Archaeological Priority Area
A section traversing the site at Eddystone Road foot-bridge is covered by the Archaeological Priority designation. Archaeological Priority Areas (APAs) are areas where there is significant known archaeological interest or potential for new discoveries. It forms Area 16 on the Lewisham map of areas of archaeological priority, described as:

“APA4 London-Lewes Road. The London-Lewes Road was part of the Roman arterial system, connected London with the South Coast and is possibly preserved in surviving public rights of way and street alignments. Otherwise this road is absent from the modern topography of Lewisham, despite its significant role as the boundary between the modern boroughs of Croydon and Bromley and the historic counties of Kent and Surrey.”

 

It is protected by DM Policy 37 – Non-designated heritage assets of archaeological interest, Schedule 3 Policy URB 21 Archaeology.

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4. Ancient Woodland
In 2021, the section between Courtrai Road SE23 and Eddystone Road SE4, known as Gorne Wood was designated as Ancient Woodland by Natural England. It is the closest Ancient Woodland to the City of London. Ancient woodland means that it has been continuously wooded for least 400 years old, it does not mean that all the trees in the wood are very old.

Ancient woodland has been around for so long it has developed a complex biodiversity, with special communities of plants and animals not found elsewhere. These rare and delicate habitats include soils, microorganisms, ground flora, fungi, insects, and wildlife that would be negatively impacted by development. Ancient woodland is very rare, covering only 2.5% of UK and totally irreplaceable. There are certain woodland indicator species such as wild garlic, wood anemone and the wild service tree.

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There is also evidence of old woodland management such as coppicing and pollarded trees in ancient woodland, so that we can see how woods were used by people in the past.

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5. Locally Important Geological Site (LIGS)
The entire Buckthorne Cutting is designated as a LIGS. This means it has borough wide importance due to evidence of Septarian Nodules in situ. Septarian Nodules were formed over a million years ago and were once used in Roman wall building. They create underground springs which we now believe to be the cause of the abundant reed beds on the Buckthorne Cutting site.

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6. Urban Green Space
Parts of the cutting are also designated Urban Green Space, a designation equal to the ‘Green Belt’ protection meaning that it cannot be built on.

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7. Location Context
The railway cutting is strategically located to form an integral part of a wider network of green spaces. Any disruption or break in this coherency will be detrimental to the ecological integrity of the corridor. The following sections detail how the site is an integral part of this wider ecological network.

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8. Great North Wood Living Landscape
The site is within the ‘Great North Wood’ living landscape. The London Wildlife Trust (LWT) ‘London Living Landscapes’ initiative seeks to protect, conserve and enhance the capital’s wildlife and connect fragmented natural green and blue spaces to form vibrant landscapes. The Great North Woods once stretched across the high ridge of land between Deptford, Selhurst and Streatham, surviving as an extended woodland made up of a mixture of oaks and hornbeams, wood-pasture commons, and arable land until the early 19th century. Over twenty woodlands are now found within the area, together with a wide range of other sites of wildlife value.

 

9. Green Grid
The site is located within one of 11 Area Frameworks of the All London Green Grid (Area 6 – South East London Green Chain Plus) The All London Green Grid (ALGG) is a London Plan policy framework to promote the design and delivery of green infrastructure across London, incorporating green infrastructure/urban greening, biodiversity, trees, woodland and river corridors.

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10. Green Chain
The railway cutting is adjacent to the section of the Green Chain Walk that goes through Camberwell New Cemetery on the other side of the railway tracks. There is immense potential to extend the walk to incorporate the M112 green corridor. It incorporates a Green Chain of 300 open spaces connected by a network of footpaths that stretch 50 miles (80km). 

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11. Lewisham Borough Wide Green Spaces
Site M112 is described in Lewisham Council’s Green Space study. It is an integral part of Lewisham’s Green Infrastructure. The site in question forms the western green infrastructure spine, connecting to the middle spine along the Catford Loop railway corridor.

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12. Brockley Three Peaks Green Walk
Recognising the green spaces within their neighbourhood as local natural assets, residents mapped out a local green corridor known as the Brockley Three Peaks Green Walk. This demonstrates the huge potential for the SE London Green Chain to be expanded. While currently the site in question is adjacent to the walk and is inaccessible, it still forms the visual amenity and a possible future accessible amenity to nature.