Acquired by Hillingdon Council in the mid-1990s, this extensive site was opened as a country park in 2002. Formerly used for agriculture, it is now managed principally for its wildlife, as well as a local amenity. Grass-cutting on a rotational basis is used to encourage and maintain grassland diversity and habitat continuity. The site is freely accessible to the public in the daytime.Lake Farm Country Park won a Green Flag Award again for 20089. Hillingdon Healthy Walks project uses this site – a Walking the Way to Health (WHI) scheme; see link for details.
Local Wildlife Site
Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation
Lake Farm Country Park
Borough: Hillingdon
Grade: Borough Grade I
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 24.17 ha
Description
Wildlife
Grassland wildflowers seen here include red clover, scentless mayweed, sticky groundsel, meadow cranesbill and in the hedges, sun spurge. The hedges themselves are formed of common hawthorn, ash, blackthorn and pedunculate oak, along with dog rose and field rose. Kestrels may be seen hunting here, as well as seasonal flocks of goldfinches.An area of scrub and trees to the south is dominated by common hawthorn and elder, growing below pedunculate oak, Norway maple, crack willows and other scattered trees. Plants of the woodland edges include tansy, weld, hemlock and broad-buckler fern, as well as broad-leaved everlasting pea and Himalayan honeysuckle, amongst others. A dug out area to the south of the grassland is beginning to develop a wetland plant community, including soft rush, hard rush and galingale.Facilities
Information; car parking; playgrounds; horse riding; waymarked walking route; trim trail. The Grand Union Canal towpath and London LOOP pass immediately to the south of Lake Farm Country Park.
The ox-eye daisy measow at Lake Farm © Alan Preece
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