Local Wildlife Site

Wildlife

The rough edges of the amenity grassland to the east of Grassy Meadows Day Centre include a variety of plants such as wall lettuce and common knapweed, growing among tall perennial rye-grass, barren brome and false oat-grass. A belt of dense scrub and trees north of the day centre contains a number of young aspen trees. A pond beside the Beck Theatre contains carp and many small fish. It is fed by an artificial waterfall, with wet stonework splash zones and mats of algae - both potentially important for invertebrates, and scarce habitats in London. Pond insects include water beetles, pond-skaters and the common darter dragonfly. The wetland flora includes common spike-rush, great reedmace, water plantain, rigid hornwort, water mint and non-native water lilies. A native hedgerow runs along its south margin.The Norman Leddy Memorial Garden is a sheltered and peaceful botanic garden with a fascinating collection of exotic trees and shrubs. These include hiba and New-Zealand tree ferns. There is an ancient hawthorn tree and a bog garden. There is a variety of shelter for birds, and coots nest by an artificial pond alongside gipsywort and brooklime. The Norman Leddy Memorial Gardens won a Green Flag Award again for 20089, and is used by the Hillingdon Healthy Walks project - a Walking the Way to Health (WHI) scheme; see link for details.St. Mary's Churchyard is a rather overgrown cemetery, dominated in parts by tall herbs such as common nettle. There are scattered trees and wildflowers such as germander speedwell and tufted vetch.

Facilities

Historic features; Information.