Bedfont Lakes Country Park facts for kids
Bedfont Lakes Country Park is a large and beautiful park in Bedfont, located in the London Borough of Hounslow. It covers about 72.5 hectares, which is like 180 football fields! This park is a special place for nature, officially recognized as a Local Nature Reserve. It's also considered a very important area for nature conservation in the whole of London.
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A Park with a Past
This amazing park wasn't always a park. Long ago, it was a farm called Fawn's Manor Farm. The land was owned by the Duke of St Albans until 1780, when a man named William Sherborn bought it.
From Farm to Park
For many years, until the 1920s, this land helped feed London by growing lots of produce. People also dug up gravel from the ground starting in the 1860s.
Later, from the 1950s until 1973, the area was used as a landfill. This means it was a place where household and industrial waste was dumped. After it closed, some of the lakes in the area were left polluted.
But things changed for the better! In 1988, the Hounslow Council worked to turn the area into the wonderful country park we see today. This was part of a plan to develop the land around it.
Discovering Nature at Bedfont Lakes
Today, Bedfont Lakes Country Park is a fantastic spot for wildlife and nature lovers. It has many different types of natural areas.
Habitats and Wildlife
You can find peaceful lakes, wet areas called wetlands, colorful wildflower meadows, and quiet woodlands. These different habitats are home to a huge variety of living things.
Scientists have found over 350 different kinds of plants here! Some of these include the pretty field scabious, the delicate lady's bedstraw, and the tall black poplar trees.
The park is also a birdwatcher's paradise, with 156 different species of birds. There are also 124 types of moths, 97 kinds of fungi, and 20 different mammals living in the park.
Visiting the Park
Bedfont Lakes Country Park is easy to visit. You can find car parks on Bedfont Road and Clockhouse Lane. It's a great place to spend time outdoors, learn about nature, and enjoy the peace and quiet.
