Local Wildlife Site

Accessible Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

Hanworth Park and the Longford River
Borough: Hounslow
Grade: Borough Grade I
Access: Free public access (all/most of site)
Area: 71.03 ha

Description

Hanworth Park incorporates the old grounds of Hanworth House, which is a Grade II listed building. The park was opened for public use in 1949. Today the site features grassland and a small area of wet woodland on the eastern edge of the park. The Longford River adds further natural value. There is free public access to the site, except for the privately-owned surrounds to Hanworth House. This is a Capital Woodlands project site.

Wildlife

The grassland within Hanworth Park is surprisingly diverse, and sweet vernal-grass and red fescue are abundant. Pignut, an uncommon plant associated with old grasslands, is frequent, along with commoner wild flowers. The grassland attracts wintering skylarks and meadow pipits. A good range of insects, including a strong population of the small heath butterfly, and the conspicuous wasp spider also live here. A bee bank has been established in the south-western corner of the site for burrowing bees and wasps. The wet woodland is dominated by various willows, and has false fox-sedge, pendulous sedge and yellow iris. This area is very important for insects and amphibians, and grass snakes have also been recorded. Many soprano pipistrelle bats forage around Hanworth House, perhaps indicating the presence of a roost there.

Facilities

Football pitches; rugby pitches; tennis courts; playground
No photo yet available for this site

No photo yet available for this site

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More information on GiGL’s SINC dataset can be found here.

Additional information, including other site designations and species recorded onsite and nearby, can be provided in community and client data search reports. Request information here.