Fryent Country Park facts for kids
Fryent Country Park, along with Barn Hill Open Space, is a really big park located in the northern part of London Borough of Brent. It's like a huge green playground, covering about 103 hectares (that's about 254 acres!) of rolling fields and small forests. It's a fantastic place to explore nature right in the city.
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Cool Places to See
Barn Hill is a wooded hill in the park's southwest. It rises to about 86 meters (282 feet) high. You can find a fish pond right at the top of Barn Hill! Many other ponds are scattered throughout the rest of the park too. Other high spots include Gotfords Hill, which is about 63 meters (207 feet) tall, and Beane Hill, at about 65 meters (213 feet).
There's an old path called Hell Lane or Eldestrete that runs next to Fryent Way. This path is super old, possibly from Saxon times or even earlier! Imagine walking on a path that people used hundreds of years ago. You can also find a farm near the Slough Lane entrance. It's one of the farms closest to the very center of London.
Amazing Wildlife
The park's woodlands are home to many different trees. You'll see French oak, hornbeam, elm, and ash trees. There are also some fruit trees and blackthorn bushes growing in the hedges.
Fryent Country Park is special because it's one of the best examples of the old Middlesex countryside left in the Brent area. It even has a rare plant called the narrow-leaved bitter-cress (Cardamine impatiens). This plant is not found in many places, making the park an important home for it.
A Look Back in Time
Barn Hill was known as Bardonhill way back in 1547. In 1792, a famous landscape designer named Humphry Repton helped shape it. He made it part of a large country park for a local landowner. The hay meadows in Fryent Park are small parts of two old estates. One of these was even owned by King Edward the Confessor a very long time ago!
How to Get There
The park is split in half by the A4140 Fryent Way. This road connects Kingsbury with Wembley. You can find a car park about halfway down this road if you're driving.
If you're using public transport, the closest underground station is Kingsbury Station on the Jubilee line. The 206 bus also stops not too far from the park. The Capital Ring footpath, a long walking trail around London, goes right through the park too.
The Barn Hill Open Area, especially its top, is closer to Wembley Park and Preston Road stations.
Awards and Recognition
Fryent Country Park is a really well-loved place! It won a Green Flag Award in 2010/2011. This award is like a national standard for parks in England and Wales, showing that the park is well-managed and a great green space. It is also recognized as a Local Nature Reserve, which means it's an important place for wildlife and nature.
In 2014, the park received a silver gilt award from London in Bloom. This was in their Country Park of the Year category, showing how beautiful and well-kept the park is.
Sports and Fun
If you love running, you might know about the Liddiard Cup cross country race. This race happens every year in late October right here in Fryent Country Park!
Images for kids
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A peaceful path winding through the woods.
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The calm waters of Barn Hill Pond.
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A sunny clearing in the park.
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Fryent farm on the east side of the park.
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A wide view looking north from Gotfords Hill.
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A distant view of Wembley Stadium from Barn Hill.
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A view of Northwick Park Hospital and Harrow on the Hill from Barn Hill.
