The London/Buckinghamshire border - Bedfont Lakes

The London/Hounslow/Spelthorne boundary runs south west on the railway line, crossing Clockhouse Lane. And then turns north to thread between the lakes, and travel north up Harrow Road
TQ 07538 72325

Worked out gravel pit now used as leisure areas - fishing and nature walks. The area is intersected by the main line railway to Staines.  This is in the hinterland of Heathrow Airport and although there appear to be leafy lanes there are huge depots here.


Post to the north West Bedfont
Post to the east Bedfont Lakes


Sites on the London,Hounslow side of the border

Ascot Road
Business centre with Airfreight and AirCargo service centres.

Bedfont Lakes
Gravel pits and before that market gardens. Many locations to the east of this.
Nature Reserve. In November 2000 Bedfont Lakes Country Park gained Local Nature Reserve status and was designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (of Metropolitan Importance) . There are over 390 species of plants which those in include: Wet Willow Woodland, Lowland Dry Neutral Grassland, Water Bodies, Reedbed/fen, and Scrub. there is also a good variety of Fungi and Lichen By 2008 156 species of birds had been recorded. Mammals include Foxes, Rabbits, Stoats, Bats, Field and Bank Voles and Wood Mice. A Common Lizard was seen in 1997 and in 2008 two juvenile Grass Snakes were found along the Railway Line path grasslands. Amphibians included frogs and toads, newts. Fish include Pike, Tench, Common and Mirror Carp, Perch, Bream, Roach and Rudd, and Stickleback. There is a long stretch of bare earth bank which provides a habitat for mining bees and solitary wasps.
Ephemeral ponds along the railway line are particularly important for wildlife, including amphibians.
Fishing Lake. The Fishing Lake is managed by The Barnes and Mortlake Angling and Preservation Society. It is also known as Clockhouse Pool
New Lake
North Lake – there was a small quarry adjacent to Clockhouse Lane. The only remaining feature of this extraction site is Finger Island next to Black Hide, which formed the southern boundary. It was later turned into a fish pond. North Lake is the largest of the lakes and Pike grow very large. Birds to hunt fish underwater including; Cormorant, Smew, and Great Crested Grebe.

Clockhouse Lane
Bridge Farm, St.George’s Nursery
Bedfont Lakes Visitors Centre


Sites on the Buckinghamshire, Spelthorne side of the border

Road off to Ashford Smallholdings Estate
Princes Water Ski Club.


Sources
Barnes and Mortlake Angling and Preservation Society. Web site
Bedfont Lakes. Web site
London Borough of Hounslow. Web site
Smythe. City Wildspace

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bromley by Bow

Post to the west (north west quarter) Mile End Post to the west (north east quarter) Post to the east Bromley by Bow Post to the north Old Ford Addington Road Addington Arms . Pub dating from the 1860s. It does not appear to be still there. Police stables . From 1938 twenty horses were located here. These stables were built in moderne style white concrete by police surveyor Gilbert Mackenzie Trench. There is a stable at the back as well as tack rooms and a chimney for the forge – there was a full time farrier. Above are two flats for married police officers. The white concrete wall is original.  Alfred Street 1-5 Inland Revenue Office . Sold off 1981. Has been used as a college an as offices Almshouses Way, This was once called Priscilla Street.  1 Drapers' Almshouses . These were built in 1706.  What remains is a brick group of four tenements with central raised and pedimented chapel. They were restored in 1982 but were originally part of a larger group funded by
Read more

South Norwood

Post to the south Woodside Post to the east Birkbeck Post to the north Anerley Albert Road This road is the earliest built here, first listed in 1855, and although the Croydon Canal was no longer in use it influenced the alignment of the road. From the junction with Portland Road looking the curve of the road reflects the line of the old canal which was to the north of the houses. It is named after Albert, the Prince Consort. 74-76 Stanleybury . Very large three-storey semis. Built for William Stanley, who moved to 74 in 1867. William Stanley’s works in South Norwood was complimented by his local philanthropy. His site is now a close of modern flats. Accidentally demolished. 67 small trading estate and MOT centre .  At one time this was home to a theatre transport specialist. St.Mark . This was the first church in the area and is the parish church by G. H. Lewis. The nave was built in 1852 and the church was extended in 1862 and in successive years until 1890. It is in Kentis
Read more

River Lea/Bow Creek Canning Town

River Lea/Bow Creek The Lea winds itself generally southwards towards the Thames TQ 39505 81448 Canning Town on the Essex bank of Lea/Bow Creek. This was, and is, a heavily industrialised area together with a very down market housing area with markets, shops, cinemas, pubs and many charitable and missionary organisations. In the 2000s public transport has been transformed and much housing renewed, and it is an area in a great deal of change. Post to the west Poplar Post to the south Leamouth   and Dome Post to the east Canning Town, Butchers Road Post to the north West Ham Station Appleby Road The road is named after a local ARP warden who was killed during the Blitz. A pre-war suburban ideal is demonstrated in this West Ham estate. Barking Road It was built by the Commercial Road Turnpike Trust from the East India Docks eastwards. Now the A124 it formed part of the original A13 before the building so the East Ham  and Barking Bypass in 1928. It was widened as part o
Read more