For the purpose of this audit, heathland is defined as habitat characterised by the presence of heather Calluna vulgaris and gorse Ulex Spp. Heathlands usually occur on free-draining acid soils below 300m in altitude. Areas of good quality heathland consist of a shrub layer of varying height and structure, a scattering of trees and scrub, areas of bare ground, and occasional flushes and open water.

Only small fragments of heathland remain in Greater London. This resource has been much reduced in distribution and is of variable quality. However, heathland still represents a significant habitat in London, particularly because of its presence on Wimbledon Common and scattered patches on sites throughout the capital.

There are about 80 hectares of heathland remaining in Greater London in total. The approximate figures for each borough are shown below in Table 1. The Map represents the extent of heathland in the capital. There are estimated to be approximately 23,000 ha of heathland habitat in Southeast England. A list of sites is provided in Table 2.

Areas of ‘potential’ heathland are provided for four sites: Joyden’s and Chalk Wood (L. B. Bexley), Croham Hurst (L.B. Croydon), Addington Hills (L. B. Croydon) and Bostall Heath (L. B. Greenwich). This amounts to a total area of approximately 15 ha. Two sites, Hounslow Heath (L. B. Hounslow) and Barnes Common (L. B. Richmond), have gorse stands highlighted separately.