Campaigning, natural history, bio and habitat diversity with Ranger, Chantal Woodun, and Brent River Park Trustee, Katie Boyles.
As part of London Walking Week, take a walk with Brent River Park to discover the importance of green and blue space in London, a history of campaigning including how the important work continues, take in the beauty of the different habitats including floodplains, canals and meadows and find out about the biodiversity and some key species found here.
The Route
We’ll start at Hanwell station. Walk through Churchfields past St Mary’s Church. Around Brent Lodge Park following the River Brent. Under the Viaduct. Through Brent Meadow (stopping at Ealing hospital to see the Peregrines!), through FitzHerbert Walk (named after the founder of the Brent River Park) to Warren Farm Nature Reserve, ancient woodland Long Wood and back via Trumpers Field (which was going to be developed into a marina and hotel in the 80s until campaigners stopped it from going ahead) and ending in The Fox Inn, Green Ln, London W7 2PJ for food, drinks and good company.
The Brent River Park is solely here because of a big idea by a gentleman named Luke FitzHerbert and other dedicated people. Luke formed the Brent River Canal Society still going today, having recently successfully campaigned to ensure all of Warren Farm Nature Reserve will receive Local Nature Reserve designation within the Brent River Park. A rewilded meadow habitat, home to an abundance of rare species, including a quarter of London’s breeding Skylark population that was under threat of being lost forever.
Next year, June 29th 2025 will celebrate 50 years of the creation of the Brent River Park.
