Located in South Buckinghamshire and around 25 miles from
London, Burnham Beeches was acquired by the City of London in
1880, in response to a threatened purchase by residential
developers. It was for sale as “land suitable for the erection of
superior residences”. There has probably been woodland on the site
since the retreat of the last ice age, but today’s landscape was
created by people.
One of the three Scheduled Ancient Monuments on the site shows
that the area was inhabited as early as the Iron Age. Today Burnham
Beeches is characterised by a diverse mixture of ancient woodland,
wood pasture, coppice, ponds and streams, grassland, mire and
heathland. The sites most prominent features are the veteran Beech
and Oak pollarded trees which provide a stable habitat for many
rare and endangered deadwood species.
Find out more about the veteran Beech and Oak pollarded
trees
Visiting Burnham Beeches
The Beeches attracts around 500,000 visitors a year, who
appreciate its tranquillity as well as its rich diversity of
habitats and wildlife. Burnham Beeches has been a valuable
recreation amenity for local people and visitors for over 125 years
and is managed both as a public open space and also for
conservation.
In 2007 new visitor facilities including a café, toilet block
and Information Point were unveiled by the Lord Mayor.
Visit the new Visitor Facilities page