Stanmore Common Nature Trail
Short trail post 3: In front of you is Fox Earth mound, built as an artificial rabbit warren. Rabbits were brought to England by the Normans as a food source and kept in artificial hillocks surrounded by a fence. Rabbits are a Mediterranean species and had difficulty adapting to the harsh British winters. The rabbits were looked after by warreners. This is not the only man-made warren on the Common, but this is the best defined and the most accessible. Most warrens were long structures so this round form is unusual.


Image: Woman sending a dog into a rabbit warren to flush out rabbits. From The Taymouth Hours, created in the London area in the 2nd quarter of the 14th century. British Library, Creative Commons licence.
To description for short trail post 4

More on some of the birds you are likely to see or hear on the Common

More on the three species of deer on the Common and their tracks

Click here to learn more about the Harrow Nature Conservation Forum including guided walks and conservation workdays.