Perivale Park London

Continue reading “Gurnell-Greenford Greenwayers March Event”

London now has a mild temperate climate, so the appearance of ice is relatively unusual. Here is the new pond in Perivale Park, nicely full from winter rains, with a thin covering of ice.  Too thin of course for actual ice skating!

Continue reading “Ice skating anyone?”

An open evening was held last Thursday 24th January 2019 to announce the Ealing Parks Foundation. Thanks to Ros Bryar for kindly sending this report of the meeting.

Continue reading “Ealing Parks Foundation Open Evening.”

Perivale Park is blessed with two rivers. To the south runs the river Brent and in the south-west its tributary Costons Brook. Today I learnt about two recent events involving cleaning up these waterways. Richard Spencer-Smith sent me the following descriptions of the activities of the Gurnell-Greenford Greenwayers.

Continue reading “The Gurnell-Greenford Greenwayers”

The Greenford to Gurnell Greenway is well under way in the park. A new path is starting construction, heading off to a brand new bridge across the river Brent. This will help complete a circular pathway around the entire park, and no doubt encourage those quarter marathon runners (two circuits?).

Continue reading “Perivale Park activity in January”

Next year the London National Park City launches in July. As a prelude, the first forum, or get together of some of the many organisations in London that promote it with the ethos of a national park took place on November 7th. Perivale Park was represented on this occasion by the RedGreen Group, a small local residents group which, with the participation of Ealing council, is in the process of enhancing the park with spring bulb and summer fruit plantings as an adjunct to the major Greenford to Gurnell Greenway scheme which is helping to transforming the area.

Continue reading “First London National Park City Network Forum.”

You can now plan your visit to Perivale Park by browsing the newly re-launched London National Park City station walks map. There are currently four walks starting from South Greenford (SG) station radiating out in the four compass directions.

Continue reading “Station walks (relaunched) from South Greenford station.”

Over the last week, a short stretch of Coston’s brook as it runs through Perivale Park has been transformed. The brook rises in the industrial estates north of the A40 in west Greenford and for its short course it emerges from culverts and then openly runs through the park before joining the river Brent close to  Greenford Bridge. For much of the last 30 years or so, its course through the park has been lined with impenetrable blackthorn. Although these produce delightful blossom in the spring, the blackthorn was effectively blocking access to the brook.

Continue reading “The Greenford-Gurnell Greenway starts to take shape.”

About 4500 bulbs^‡ were planted in the north-west corner of the park yesterday. We were blessed with glorious sun, but rather foot-numbing temperatures. Despite this unanticipated coldness, we enjoyed delicious home-made lemonade provide by Jack, who also provided a fish&chip lunch for some of us.

Continue reading “Perivale Park bulb planting, October 27th, 2018.”

The Greenford to Gurnell Greenway is a project to transform underused and disconnected green space along the river Brent in West London connecting Greenford town centre to Gurnell Leisure centre. It is one of six initiatives to improve green spaces as part of the London National Park City project.

Continue reading “A survey of the plant ( + bee & spider) life in Perivale West Meadows.”

As part of the  Greenford to  Gurnell (swimming pool) project,  a new Perivale Park woodland is to be planted running alongside a recently constructed path. You can vote for the trees and make other suggestions here or view the location and design. There will be a community planting on Sunday  December 2nd.

Continue reading “Greenford to Gurnell Greenway Project.”

Join us on Saturday 27th October, 2018 in planting four thousand bulbs near the entrance to Perivale Park. Funded by a community grant, we now need YOUR help to plant the bulbs! 

Continue reading “Perivale Park bulb planting day, Saturday October 27th, 10AM-2PM.”

The opening of the Nicky Hopkins memorial bench took place in Perivale Park at noon today. Here are a few photos of the occasion (click on any image for higher resolution).

Continue reading “Nicky Hopkins Memorial Bench in Perivale Park: the unveiling.”

Perivale Park is one of six projects in London funded by a “green-capital” grants program, with the RedGreen group project contributing to an orchard and a bulb planting.

Continue reading “Wetlands and Orchards.”

The Capital Ring walk is a 126 km circumambulation around London passing through Perivale Park (section 8). In a southerly direction, you can get to another park in south-east London, Crystal Palace park (sections 3 and  4), which is a rather more famous cousin of Perivale.

Continue reading “The Capital Ring: Perivale and Crystal Palace Parks”

There was finally some rain last week, and the cosmos in particular have picked themselves up.
A dead tree seems even more petrified, nay ghostly, than usual!

A bridge across Coston’s brook always has a hop plant growing on it, and this year’s harvest looks particularly enticing!
Meanwhile, the main wildflower planting area never did get going this year, apart from a small patch in the centre, which although stunted, has some colour.

After two months of no rain, several people I know performed rain dances last night. The result was much thunder and a great deal of heavy rain – everywhere except Perivale Park! Despite that, the spring wild flower plantings are still looking great – I guess they must all be pretty draught tolerant. Here are some photos taken this morning.

There was a small shower of rain last night and the parched flowers seemed to appreciate it. Some of the brambles shown below are already tasty, but they will need a lot more rain for most of them to ripen. This photo was taken along the Brent river valley, walking from Perivale Park to Hanwell.

Continue reading “Perivale and Brent Valley Parks, July 14th, 2018.”

Here are some examples of Tuesday morning activities in  Perivale Park.

Groundwork UK is a charity that aims to re-connect people with nature and transform whole neighbourhoods. They provide grants under an “Our Space” awards scheme for small-scale community projects. A group of locals meet in Perivale Park every week under the “everyone active” scheme (https://www.everyoneactive.com/centre/perivale-park-athletics-track/ ) to take gentle exercise in the athletics track there. During the summer, when the track is often used for schools sports days, we decamp to the park proper. Last year from this viewpoint we watched as the wild flower meadows blossomed. This is of course so much more in the park, including a wide variety of trees and shrubs. We also noticed that an old bowling green had become neglected these last few years and the Our Space award seemed a wonderful chance for us to do something about it and provide a new amenity in the neighbourhood.

Continue reading “The RedGreen group project.”

March and April this year was heavy on rain. As a result, the 2018 wild flower plantings only got under way on May 8th, when a tractor came along, prepared the soil and planted the wild flower seeds.

Since then there has been little rain, and so only the very hardy thistles have flourished. But one or two areas have managed to produce an early profusion of colour – mainly the poppies.

The border above is new this year, being adjacent to the oak copse planted about 10 years ago and now with nicely maturing trees.
You can see how dry it is from the photo below (the oak copse is to the left).

Regular updates following the flowers this year will appear here, along with notes on rain (or lack of it!).