London is a Forest

by Paul Wood

Can a city be a forest? At first glance, this does not chime with our childhood idea of the `wild wood' - a dark entanglement of trees, where humans fear to tread. But a forest does not need to be dense and impenetrable, and it's not unheard of for people to live in them either. In London, 8.6 million people are crammed into just 600 square miles alongside 8.3 million trees, and millions upon millions of other plants, insects and animals. According to one UN definition, this makes the city a forest. The Forestry Commission agree, describing London as the world's largest urban forest. And it's a very special, urban forest at that. Following a number of trails through the rich diversity of London, this book will look closely at the urban forest, our relationships with it and attitudes towards it and will uncover the fascinating stories and secrets it holds. Through these paths that meander through the urban forest, author Paul Wood explores its geography, its past and future, and looks at the remarkable variety of life supported in this unique metropolitan ecosystem. From the edgelands to the beating heart of the clamorous 21st century megacity, a wealth of arboreal details, history, legend and anecdotes will be revealed along the way. You'll discover some of the species found here, and the people who have helped to shape this remarkable environment over many centuries. Complementing the trails, Wood will look in more detail at the fascinating stories of some of the iconic, and some of the more hidden species that define the urban forest. These will include familiar tree species like the London Plane, Oaks, Cherries and Hornbeam, alongside the rare Wild Service Tree and the surprising Tree of Heaven. Other inhabitants of the forest such as parakeets, urban foxes and, of course, humans will also be featured.

Genres: London, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published May 2, 2019

About the author

A constant explorer of cities and the irrepressible, boisterous nature they support,
Paul Wood is the author of several books, including London’s Street Trees and London is a Forest.

His latest book, Tree Hunting, was published by Particular Books in May 2025.

He has been fascinated by trees ever since he noticed a beech seedling unfurling in his back garden as a child and now he lives in north London under the canopy of a pair of Victorian plane trees.

Reviews

[Georgia Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot, and it gave a really interesting botanical/cultural perspective on the city- that said, I think I’ll grow to appreciate the book more as I embark on its suggested walks myself.

[Rick B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

While appealing to botanists and nature lovers this book offers a unique take on city planning, design, and history through London's natural world. The book is filled with interesting tidbits.

[Chetan Tyagi · Rating 4 out of 5]

London is a Forest sounded like a very intriguing idea to read about. As a city it's probably my favorite in the world and while I always thought it to be green enough, being a forest sounded amazing. My biggest apprehension while picking up the book was that it would be too technical and dry.

Truth be told, this is not a page turner and you have to concentrate to make steady progress. However, while the technician details are there they don't overpower the narrative. The general description of areas and housing estates etc along with brief sprinkling of history and culture make this a decently enjoyable read.

That said, this isn't for everyone. If you don't have the enthusiasm for thinking about the great city from a very different perspective you may not appreciate the book.

Overall, it was a pretty good experience for me and I would recommend this for anyone who fits the above description. A 4 star for me.

PS: even though I rented it from the library, this is probably a book you'd buy and keep for referring to in future when you visit some of these areas. I can also imagine this looking damn decent on the shelf given the excellent quality hardcover and pages.

[Susan Allott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book that I plan to return to again and again. The thought of my area of London being covered in forest, and the fact that some areas of that forest still remain, gives me the shivers. I love that the author gives GPS coordinates in the margins, so I can find the trees and other landmarks he describes. My only wish to improve this book is that it included some pictures and maybe a map showing the area that the Great North Wood once covered. I can think of a few people to gift this book to. Highly recommend.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an enlightening, hopeful book. The best I can say is that it has made me want to explore some of the hidden woodlands and edgelands of my home city in 2020, while making me feel optimistic about our future as a species. We may be losing genuine wildernesses but our instinct to garden and preserve and nurture and delight in our creation is source for hope.

[Claire Bate-Roullin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that's made me appreciate the trees and other plants that make up my urban surroundings.
To learn that there are such things as tree fashions, cultivars unique to London and rare trees that came from far far away, likely planted by the immigrants that came with them, was fascinating.
I probably won't be looking at the trees around me in the same way again, and that's a good thing!

[Sam James · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING BOOK - I am so glad I picked it up.

[Teodora Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I walk a lot around London and enjoyed discovering places I did not see yet