London’s legendary Highgate Wood could soon be available to hire for weddings

Sunlight dappling through the canopy, pretty chirps from resident birds, sweet blooming wildflowers and isolation from the outside world make forests some of the most romantic settings that planet Earth has to offer. And believe it or not, London has its fair share of wooded areas. And soon, one of them could become an official place that loved-up couples can go to tie the knot. 

Highgate Wood spans 28-hectares between East Finchley, Highgate and Muswell Hill. It’s been around for more than 500 years and is officially protected as a Metropolitan Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. It’s also one of the UK’s best places to admire bluebells – oh so romantic. 

The London Spy has spotted that the City of London Corporation, which owns the forest, is planning to allow weddings there for the first time in an effort to bring in more income. And, echoing plans for Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest, the corporation is also drafting a ‘marketing document to highlight potential event sites at Highgate Wood for community and commercial use’. That’s according to its new five-year business plan.

The problem with weddings is that they tend to involve a lot of people and a lot of partying. The Corporation’s plans could conflict with the its legal responsibility to protect the woods and the prospect of wedding ceremonies is likely to raise concerns over how it’ll affect the wildlife there. 

The City of London Corporation acquired Highgate Woods in the 1880s to save it from plans to build housing. Its population of more than 900 species of invertebrates, 350 fungi, 70 birds and more is protected by the Corporation’s charity, the Highgate Wood Trust.

A spokesperson told London Spy that permitting weddings in the wood would ‘help the charity generate additional income to support the vital conservation work of our open spaces’. They added that City of London is committed to protecting its ‘ecologically sensitive sites’.  

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