The London/Buckinghamshire boundry. Bedfont Lakes
The London/Hounslow/Spelthorne boundary runs due north to the railway line which it follows going south west
TQ 08276 72553
Bedfont Lskes are a seres of worked out gravel pits, here turned into leisure areas - sports, fishing snf nature walks with some attractions added. This is in the hinterland of Heathrow Airport and there are a number of big shed depots, along with haulage and some landfill and extraction. In the south east corner of the square is the old Borstal - now Feltham Young Offenders Institition.
Post to the west Bedfont Lakes
Post to the south Ashford
Sites on the London,Hounslow side of the boundary
Bedfont Lakes
Gravel pits and before that market gardens. The land belonged to the Duke of St. Albans and was known as Fawn’s Manor Farm and in 1780 it was bought by William Sherborn. This was an area of arable farming and in 1897 the area, now the south side of the park, became Sherborn’s Orchard. As a result there are some apple and pear trees in the area. Gravel extraction on site took place from the 1860s. Until the 1950s the site was worked for sand and gravel extraction and then the abandoned workings were used as a landfill site which ended in 1973, leaving a legacy of polluted lakes, derelict buildings, and abandoned machinery. In 1988 the Borough of Hounslow granted planning permission for the industrial development and stipulated that the developers create the Country Park. A system had to be installed to drain off contaminated groundwater. Vents were installed to allow methane to be released into the atmosphere. Bedfont Lakes Country Park opened in July 1995 and was the second largest open space to be created in London in the 20th century.
South side. Not open to the public. Includes Chattern Lake and the Chattern Community Orchard
Orchard – this is a traditional orchard. In the 1800s c.40% of the London Borough of Hounslow was covered by orchards. Today only three conservation orchards left in the borough covering a couple of hectares. This Orchard is a restored around several mature trees, and has been extended with young, traditionally grown local varieties such as Annie Elizabeth, Pinner Seedling, and Catshead.
Chattern Lane – is run as a scuba diving lake by a local diving organisation.
North side – in three parts., Motte Lake, North Lake, North Arena, millennium monolith, , Monolith Hill. Other things in the western section.
Monolith Hill. Highest Point in the Borough of Hounslow and includes the Millennium monolith which gives directi9ns to points of interest. The hill was formed from soil and landfill when the park was remediated. They were then seeded with a native wildflower mix and areas of trees were planted
Challenge Road
Bedfont Industrial Parks
Bedfont Road
Feltham Young Offenders Institution. Open 1859. The original Feltham was built in 1854 as Middlesex County Industrial School and was taken over in 1910 by the Prison Commissioners as their second Borstal institution. It took about twenty "patients,” who undertook laundry and needlework. Adjoining, and under the same management, was the Middlesex Industrial School for Girls. The existing building opened as a Remand Centre in March 1988. The current HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Feltham were formed by the amalgamation of Ashford Remand Centre and Feltham Borstal in 1990/91.
Sources
Sources
Bedfont Lakes. Web site
London Borough of Hounslow. Web site
Ministry of Justice. Wen sote
Smythe. City Wildspace
TQ 08276 72553
Bedfont Lskes are a seres of worked out gravel pits, here turned into leisure areas - sports, fishing snf nature walks with some attractions added. This is in the hinterland of Heathrow Airport and there are a number of big shed depots, along with haulage and some landfill and extraction. In the south east corner of the square is the old Borstal - now Feltham Young Offenders Institition.
Post to the west Bedfont Lakes
Post to the south Ashford
Sites on the London,Hounslow side of the boundary
Bedfont Lakes
Gravel pits and before that market gardens. The land belonged to the Duke of St. Albans and was known as Fawn’s Manor Farm and in 1780 it was bought by William Sherborn. This was an area of arable farming and in 1897 the area, now the south side of the park, became Sherborn’s Orchard. As a result there are some apple and pear trees in the area. Gravel extraction on site took place from the 1860s. Until the 1950s the site was worked for sand and gravel extraction and then the abandoned workings were used as a landfill site which ended in 1973, leaving a legacy of polluted lakes, derelict buildings, and abandoned machinery. In 1988 the Borough of Hounslow granted planning permission for the industrial development and stipulated that the developers create the Country Park. A system had to be installed to drain off contaminated groundwater. Vents were installed to allow methane to be released into the atmosphere. Bedfont Lakes Country Park opened in July 1995 and was the second largest open space to be created in London in the 20th century.
South side. Not open to the public. Includes Chattern Lake and the Chattern Community Orchard
Orchard – this is a traditional orchard. In the 1800s c.40% of the London Borough of Hounslow was covered by orchards. Today only three conservation orchards left in the borough covering a couple of hectares. This Orchard is a restored around several mature trees, and has been extended with young, traditionally grown local varieties such as Annie Elizabeth, Pinner Seedling, and Catshead.
Chattern Lane – is run as a scuba diving lake by a local diving organisation.
North side – in three parts., Motte Lake, North Lake, North Arena, millennium monolith, , Monolith Hill. Other things in the western section.
Monolith Hill. Highest Point in the Borough of Hounslow and includes the Millennium monolith which gives directi9ns to points of interest. The hill was formed from soil and landfill when the park was remediated. They were then seeded with a native wildflower mix and areas of trees were planted
Challenge Road
Bedfont Industrial Parks
Bedfont Road
Feltham Young Offenders Institution. Open 1859. The original Feltham was built in 1854 as Middlesex County Industrial School and was taken over in 1910 by the Prison Commissioners as their second Borstal institution. It took about twenty "patients,” who undertook laundry and needlework. Adjoining, and under the same management, was the Middlesex Industrial School for Girls. The existing building opened as a Remand Centre in March 1988. The current HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Feltham were formed by the amalgamation of Ashford Remand Centre and Feltham Borstal in 1990/91.
Sources
Sources
Bedfont Lakes. Web site
London Borough of Hounslow. Web site
Ministry of Justice. Wen sote
Smythe. City Wildspace
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