Crane Park is a 30 hectare public park next to the River Crane in western Twickenham. The park north of the river is in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, and the south in the London Borough of Hounslow. [1] It is part of The Crane Corridor Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, and includes two Local Nature Reserves, Crane Park Island and Pevensey Road. [2] [3] [4]
The Hounslow Gunpowder Works opened in the late 1760s in what is now the western end of the park. Crane Park Island was created to provide a mill pond for the water to drive the machinery. There were many explosions and the Shot Tower (pictured right) is now thought to have been a windmill for recirculating water to power the mills, rather than a shot tower for making lead shot.
The licence to manufacture gunpowder was withdrawn in 1927, and part of the site was sold to Twickenham Council, which turned it into Crane Park. This opened in 1935, and was inherited by Richmond Council when Twickenham Council was abolished in 1965. [1] The Shot Tower (now officially the Brick Tower) is a Grade II listed building. [5]
The park has large areas of woodland, as well as pasture areas and the river bank, and it also has important industrial archaeology. [1] It is managed to encourage wildlife, and Marsh frogs and the scarce water vole breed on the banks of the river. [2]
Although the park borders the London Borough of Hounslow, it is only accessible from Twickenham. There are entrances on Crane Park Road, Ellerman Avenue, Hanworth Road, Mill Road, Great Chertsey Road, Hospital Bridge Road and Meadway. The London Loop long-distance footpath goes through the park. [1]
Hounslow is a large suburban district of West London, England, 10+3⁄4 miles west-southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 12 metropolitan centres in Greater London.
The London Borough of Hounslow is a London borough in West London, England, forming part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 when three smaller borough councils amalgamated under the London Government Act 1963. It is governed by Hounslow London Borough Council.
Isleworth is a suburban town located within the London Borough of Hounslow in West London, England. It lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane. Isleworth's original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known as 'Old Isleworth'. The north-west corner of the town, bordering on Osterley to the north and Lampton to the west, is known as 'Spring Grove'.
Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames 9.9 miles (15.9 km) southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the borough council's administrative headquarters are located in the area.
St Margarets is an affluent suburb and neighbourhood in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, about 9 miles (14 km) west-southwest of central London. It is bounded by the Thames Tideway to the north-east, and the River Crane to the north-west and north where the land tapers between these rivers. Land and buildings closer to Richmond Bridge than the eponymous railway station are, traditionally distinctly, known as East Twickenham. Both places go by their post town and traditional parish, Twickenham quite often; in the 19th century the south of St Margarets was marked on maps as Twickenham Park.
Whitton is an area of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. Historically, it was the north-western part of Twickenham manor, bounded by the River Crane and the Duke of Northumberland's River.
Dollis Brook runs through the London Borough of Barnet in north London. It is a tributary of the River Brent, which is itself a tributary of the River Thames. The Dollis Valley Greenwalk follows almost all of Dollis Brook, apart from a short section at the beginning which passes through private land, and the London Loop follows it as far as Barnet Lane. The name Dollis is probably derived from the Middle English word 'dole', meaning the shares of land in the common field.
The River Crane, a tributary of the River Thames, runs 8.5 miles (13.6 km) in West London, England. It forms the lower course of Yeading Brook. It adjoins or passes through three London boroughs: Hillingdon, Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames, in the historic county of Middlesex. The drainage basin is heavily urbanised but many of the Hayes to Whitton flood-meadows have been conserved, forming a narrow, green vale, opening out to what remains of Hounslow Heath in the centre – a near-continuous belt of semi-natural habitat.
Richmond upon Thames in the south west of Greater London has more parks, open spaces and nature reserves than any other London borough.
The A316, known in parts as the Great Chertsey Road, is a major road in England, which runs from the A315 Chiswick High Road, Turnham Green, Chiswick to join head-on the M3 motorway at Sunbury-on-Thames. Its initial London section Chiswick Lane heads south – following this it is a mostly straight dual carriageway aligned WSW.
Hounslow Heath is a local nature reserve in the London Borough of Hounslow and at a point borders Richmond upon Thames. The public open space, which covers 200 acres (80 ha), is all that remains of the historic Hounslow Heath which covered more than 4,000 acres (1,600 ha). The present day area is bounded by A315 Staines Road, A3063 Wellington Road South, A314 Hanworth Road, and the River Crane.
The Duke of Northumberland's River or D. O. N. River consists of separate upper and lower artificial watercourses in west London, United Kingdom. The older name Isleworth Mill Stream/River more accurately describes the economic motivation behind its construction. The first section draws water via a sluice from the Colne — a source river which has seven distributaries, many of which are man-made — today an extended distance of about 5 miles (8 km) into the Crane; its lower section of about 1.8 miles (2.9 km) draws water from that small river in Whitton, Twickenham and discharges it via neighbouring Isleworth, passing Mill Plat into the tidal Thames. A sluice underneath Mill Plat feeds the main lake in Syon Park.
Fulwell is a neighbourhood of outer South West London in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It straddles the west of the "ancient" parish and urban district borders of Twickenham and Teddington. The name is first known in documents of the fifteenth century. It may be from a reliably full well or a corruption of foul well. Until 1965, Fulwell was in the historic County of Middlesex.
Isleworth Ait, also known as Isleworth Eyot, is a between 3.5-hectare (8.6-acre) and 9.370-acre (3.792 ha) teardrop-shaped island in the River Thames in England. The long ait is on the Tideway facing Old Isleworth and the towpath alongside the Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club. These places are in the London Boroughs of Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames. The island faces Heron's Place and a number of commercial buildings.
Crane Park Island is a Local Nature Reserve in Twickenham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is also part of The Crane Corridor Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. The site is an island in the River Crane, which is owned by Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council and managed by the London Wildlife Trust. The (only) entrance is next to the Shot Tower in Crane Park.
Cranebank is a Local Nature Reserve on the east bank of the River Crane in Hatton in the London Borough of Hounslow. It is owned and managed by Hounslow Council. It is also part of The Crane Corridor Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.
Bedfont Lakes Country Park is a 72.5-hectare Local Nature Reserve and Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation in Bedfont in the London Borough of Hounslow.
Pevensey Road is a 10.2 hectare Local Nature Reserve in Hanworth in the London Borough of Hounslow. It is also part of the Crane Corridor Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. It is owned and managed by Hounslow Council.
51°26′36″N0°22′31″W / 51.4432°N 0.37534°W
