Bricket Wood Common

Bricket Wood Common is a valuable area of semi-natural habitat within a significantly built up part of Hertfordshire, rich in wildlife and offering visitors an opportunity to enjoy a landscape largely undisturbed by the world outside. 

The Common’s diverse habitats include ancient semi-natural woodland; hornbeam coppice woodland; wet lowland heath/acid grassland; and ponds and seasonal streams. The Common supports an array of wildlife including great crested newts, butterflies, heather, fungi, blue bells and Heath Spotted Orchids. The Common is managed by St Albans City and District Council in partnership with the Countryside Management Service and the Bricket Wood Joint Management Committee which is made up of elected District and Parish Councillors, local interest groups and the current owner.

The site consists of an area of around 78.5 hectares and is situated within the boundaries of the M25 and the M1. Its location, history and diversity of habitats ensure that the open space is highly valued by the local community. A Green Space Action Plan sets out how the common will be developed to allow a co-ordinated and organised approach to management and conservation, and to meet Natural England’s aim of bringing all SSSIs into a favourable condition.