The Enfield beaver family has a little more room to roam and a brand-new baby kit to celebrate

Beaver family thrives in Enfield as new enclosure tours open to the public. The Enfield beaver family has a little more room to roam and a brand-new baby kit to celebrate, thanks to a newly expanded enclosure at Archers Wood, Forty Hall.The extension to the beaver enclosure marks a significant step forward for urban rewilding in the capital. The project, a partnership between Enfield Council and Capel Manor College, was part-funded by a £50,000 grant from the Mayor of London.It has expanded the size of the original enclosure by 1 hectare, about the size of a rugby field. The extra space will benefit the growing beaver family, who are playing a key role in natural flood management and improved wildlife habitats. This milestone comes just weeks after the arrival of a new baby beaver, known as a kit, bringing the total number of animals in the enclosure to eight.The growing family is a clear sign that the beavers are thriving in their Enfield home, with signs of dam-building, coppicing, and increased biodiversity across the site.Visitors can now explore the area more easily with new footpaths linking to a signposted beaver trail and a raised viewing platform. For the first time, Enfield Council and Forty Hall Farm will also host guided tours of the enclosure, led by the expert team working on-site. These educational tours offer a rare chance to learn more about the beavers’ behaviour, their ecological impact and the broader goals of the College, Forty Hall Farm and the Enfield Chase Restoration Project.  A limited number of free public tours are available now via TicketSource [[https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/forty-hall-farm/e-rydrem]] during Forty Hall Farm’s farmers market on Sunday, 13 July. Paid tours will launch at the end of the month, offering regular opportunities to connect with one of London’s most exciting rewilding stories.

 Cllr Tim Leaver, Deputy Leader of Enfield Council, said:
“We’re pleased to see the beaver family doing so well, and even more excited to be able to welcome the public into the heart of the enclosure. This expansion supports our wider ambitions for nature recovery and sustainable flood management across the borough.”

 Peter Brammall, Principal and CEO of Capel Manor College, said:
“Seeing the beaver family thriving here in Enfield is incredibly inspiring. For our students, staff, and visitors, it shows how rewilding projects can transform landscapes, enrich education, and reconnect people with nature right on their doorstep.”

This project forms part of the Enfield Chase Landscape Restoration initiative, one of the largest rewilding programmes in London, reconnecting communities with nature and helping combat the effects of climate change.

To view a short film that explains the Enfield Beaver programme and our collective goals for the project, visit our YouTube channels.
[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2iu2FFzPTY]] 

Enfield Council introduced a pair of beavers to Archers Wood in Forty Hall Estate in March 2022.

This was the first beaver reintroduction programme in London since the capital’s beavers became extinct more than 400 years ago. In September 2023 the first kit was born. There are now two adults and six kits.The London Wildlife Trust, in partnership with the Mayor of London, is supporting projects which will enhance and restore London Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation, to deliver targets related to the London Environment Strategy. These sites make up London’s wildlife network and are a core focus when taking action to rewild and recover nature in the city

About Capel Manor College

Capel Manor College is London’s environmental college, offering a diverse range of full and part-time courses in further and higher education for young people and adults. We embrace and promote inclusivity in land-based careers.The College plays a vital role in the green agenda for the capital, equipping the next generation of land-based sector workers with the skills and knowledge needed to help preserve and protect London’s wildlife, national parks, and green spaces.If students are looking for the next step after school, considering a career change or want to further their existing skills, they are taught by exceptional, industry-experienced tutors and gain renowned qualifications valued by land-based employers across the world.As part of their studies, our students have the unique opportunity to obtain real-world experience and help take care of the College’s estates, gardens, farm, zoos and commercial businesses.