Darrick & Newstead Wood

Darrick & Newstead Wood is a 25Ha Local Nature Reserve situated in Farnborough, Orpington, comprising of mixed broadleaf woodland and meadow, enclosed in residential, education and sports facilities. There is a variety of valuable habitats, including wetlands, which are maintained by idverde and the Friends of Darrick & Newstead Woods. An extensive network of paths cross the site, along with a section of the London Loop. Access to the site can be gained at various points around its boundary. The site is contiguous with the High Elms Country Park and Crofton Woods, parts of which are SSSI.

The grass meadows and woodland proudly boast 6 different species of native orchid, including the locally uncommon fragrant orchid. Brown hairstreak butterfly (new colonisers in the borough) eggs were also spotted in winter 2021, so hopefully we shall see some of these new colonisers gliding across the glorious meadows this summer.