Cherry Tree Wood

Cherry Tree Wood is a 5.3-hectare park in East Finchley in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation. Located opposite East Finchley Underground station, it contains woodland and grassland, a playground, tennis courts, a cafe and toilets.
Its history may date back to prehistoric times, and the park was part of the hunting grounds of the Bishop of London in the 12th century. It is a remnant of the large medieval wood called Finchley Wood, which was shown in Great Hornsey Park in John Rocque's map of 1754. It was later known as Dirthouse Wood because the night soil and horse manure from London's streets was brought to the Dirthouse, now the White Lion pub next to East Finchley Station, as fertiliser for hay meadows. In 1914 it was purchased by Finchley Council from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to create a public park.

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