Space to Visit

Fryent Country Park covers 103 hectares of traditional Middlesex countryside. The park is surrounded by suburbia and divided by Fryent Way. The park lies about 15km north west of central London and occupies a commanding position on the top of Barn Hill. A tributary of the Gaderbrook seasonally flows through the northern edge of the park and the Capital Ring footpath passes through the country park. Designated as a nature reserve, it is used by local conservation volunteer groups, for example the Friends of Fryent Park and Barn Hill Conservation Group, and also for recreation. A small part is let on licence for grazing ponies. The main use of the land was for hay production and livestock grazing, rather than arable use, because the heavy soil is difficult to cultivate. The meadows are cut for hay, once a year, in the summer. The best time to see them is June, with hay making usually taking place in July. First the hay is cut, spread and then left to dry in the sun for a few days. Then it is collected up again, baled and transported to another farm. In the past, cattle and sheep were allowed to graze the aftermath (the late summer regrowth of grass).