The London/Buckinghamshire border - Denham
TQ 05 87
The London, Hillingdon/Buckinghamshire boundary goes northwards along the River Colne
The River Colne flows southwards and intercepts with Frays River at Denham Lock. Frays River then goes southeastwards. The Colne is also met by the River Misbourne from the west.
TQ 0553079471
An area which is generally more wetland than suburb
Post to the north Denham
Post to the south Willowbank
Post to the west Denham
Sites on the London, Hillingdon side of the boundary
Cowmoor Covert
Denham Lock
Deepest lock on the canal. Part of a conservation area.
Fran’s Tea Garden
Denham Lock Wood- A Wildlife Trust site which varies from alder and crack willow to marshy areas of reed with sedges lining the dykes. It is a diverse area of open mire and wet woodland which occurs only rarely. The site is low-lying and poorly drained on the floor of the Colne Valley with the water table is at or near the soil surface
Fray's Farm Meadows lie between the River Colne and Fray's River to the east of Denham Lock. Wet alluvial grassland of a type which is rare and threatened in the London area.
Frays Island This lies at the start of Frays River when it diverges from the Colne. It is a strip of wood land threatened by yet more gravel extraction. It has ancient plant rich in flowers communities in a background of sedges. The railway cutting too has characteristics of its meadow past. The ditches attract amphibians and the area generally attracts supports wildfowl and waders.
Frays River - The river leaves the Colne just north of Denham Lock. There is a theory that it began because a falling tree forced water from the Colne into another direction but it is more likely that it is a man made leat to power mills. It has also been called ‘the Uxbridge and Cowley Mill Stream’ or ‘the Cowley Stream’ or the ‘Colham Mill Stream’. Attention has been drawn to John Fray, a 15th Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was involved in Lea navigation and owned watermills in Essex. Locally he had an in Cowley Hall. It rejoins the Colne south of West Drayton.
Harefield Place Golf Course
Built on local authority owned land in 1959. Harefield Place had originally been acquired for hospital use.
Lakes – nature reserves cared for by a Hillingdon Wild Life Group.
Railway Line
The failed Great Western railway line between Denham and Uxbridge ran down the east side of the river, crossing to the west side near Denham Lock.
River Colne
Crescent weirs as the Frays River diverges from the Colne.
Flow gauging station alongside the weirs
St John’s Covert
Nightingales can be heard
The Lea
Lea Cottage
Sites on the Buckinghamshire side of the boundary
Denham Country Park
Heron sculpture
Sources
Buckinghamshire County Council. Web site
Canalplan. Web site
Hillingdon Borough Council. Web site
Wildlife Trust. Web site
The London, Hillingdon/Buckinghamshire boundary goes northwards along the River Colne
The River Colne flows southwards and intercepts with Frays River at Denham Lock. Frays River then goes southeastwards. The Colne is also met by the River Misbourne from the west.
TQ 0553079471
An area which is generally more wetland than suburb
Post to the north Denham
Post to the south Willowbank
Post to the west Denham
Sites on the London, Hillingdon side of the boundary
Cowmoor Covert
Denham Lock
Deepest lock on the canal. Part of a conservation area.
Fran’s Tea Garden
Denham Lock Wood- A Wildlife Trust site which varies from alder and crack willow to marshy areas of reed with sedges lining the dykes. It is a diverse area of open mire and wet woodland which occurs only rarely. The site is low-lying and poorly drained on the floor of the Colne Valley with the water table is at or near the soil surface
Fray's Farm Meadows lie between the River Colne and Fray's River to the east of Denham Lock. Wet alluvial grassland of a type which is rare and threatened in the London area.
Frays Island This lies at the start of Frays River when it diverges from the Colne. It is a strip of wood land threatened by yet more gravel extraction. It has ancient plant rich in flowers communities in a background of sedges. The railway cutting too has characteristics of its meadow past. The ditches attract amphibians and the area generally attracts supports wildfowl and waders.
Frays River - The river leaves the Colne just north of Denham Lock. There is a theory that it began because a falling tree forced water from the Colne into another direction but it is more likely that it is a man made leat to power mills. It has also been called ‘the Uxbridge and Cowley Mill Stream’ or ‘the Cowley Stream’ or the ‘Colham Mill Stream’. Attention has been drawn to John Fray, a 15th Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was involved in Lea navigation and owned watermills in Essex. Locally he had an in Cowley Hall. It rejoins the Colne south of West Drayton.
Harefield Place Golf Course
Built on local authority owned land in 1959. Harefield Place had originally been acquired for hospital use.
Lakes – nature reserves cared for by a Hillingdon Wild Life Group.
Railway Line
The failed Great Western railway line between Denham and Uxbridge ran down the east side of the river, crossing to the west side near Denham Lock.
River Colne
Crescent weirs as the Frays River diverges from the Colne.
Flow gauging station alongside the weirs
St John’s Covert
Nightingales can be heard
The Lea
Lea Cottage
Sites on the Buckinghamshire side of the boundary
Denham Country Park
Heron sculpture
Sources
Buckinghamshire County Council. Web site
Canalplan. Web site
Hillingdon Borough Council. Web site
Wildlife Trust. Web site
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