Selsdon Wood was saved by public subscription from the potential blight of encroaching suburban development of the 20th century. It was donated to the National Trust to be preserved as a bird sanctuary. This wonderful ancient woodland was then leased to Croydon Council. Their general oversight of the management of it has been supported since 2007 by the dedicated volunteers belonging to the Friends of Selsdon Wood (FSW).

There is a comprehensive history ( from 870 AD) of the wood on the FSW website and details of recent records of the ecology of the area noted by FSW. Since Covid, the wood has been visited by many more people - not all because of an inherent love of nature but simply to enjoy an outdoor space. We hope the information on the website will increase their understanding and respect for the locale but we have decided that the addition of a woodland carvings trail would give added interest.

The first carvings ( since the bear of c.1990) were made in 2024 - a pair of owls, a Green Man and a woodland scene. A toadstool appeared in 2025 to celebrate the 90th birthday of the FSW Founder / Vice-Chairman and to give him a place to rest on his travels through the wood searching for real fungi. Via JustGiving and other donations directly to FSW, the total cost of these ( approx £2000 including ongoing annual weather proofing by the FSW with linseed oil) was raised in only a few months.

We are now hoping to extend the collection - a badger appeared in April 2025. We are hoping to be able to commission a few more later this year. We have therefore set an initial target of £1200 so hope you could help us towards achieving that before too long.