Here is a flyer for the first of many events for June-July celebrating the creation of London as a National Park City. If you love your parks, do go along and hear what others are doing!
Bee Corridors and Ponds, June 2019.
In June, only last year’s plantings are in full colour (being around 2 months ahead of this years seedings). Here are some snaps of one of the Ealing “bee corridors” set out last year and now in full magnificence. This should last a month or so longer. There are also corridors that have been ploughed and re-seeded this year, so together they should offer a spectacular display for many more months.
The orchard garden: the layout starts
Close to the Nicky Hopkins bench in the park, on the site of the old bowling green, an orchard garden has started to take place.
(Almost) all things orchard.
Here is an orchard update, both for Perivale Park and for our exploration of the Hanwell orchard trail.
Bee corridors in London (Brent). Hey, Ealing has them as well!
The BBC news headline reads ‘Bee corridor’ planted in London to boost insect numbers and goes on to describe how “… wildflower meadows will be put in place in 22 of Brent Council’s parks in north London.” Well, Perivale Park is one of a similar number of parks in Ealing getting the same treatment!
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A survey of the plant life in Perivale West Meadows: a follow up 8 months later.
Last autumn we surveyed a meadow next to Perivale Park. The same crowd returned there on Sunday May 5th to investigate how it appears in spring.
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Late April in the meadow.
Last October, a range of naturalised flowers were planted in the park. Here is an update on how some of them are getting on in late April. The daffodils have flowered, but the wild garlic and bluebells are just starting.
Floral meadow seeding, April 2019.
Today the central meadow is being prepared for a seeding later in the day. After that the rain dance(s) will need to be performed to ensure a spectacular display in July.
53 Bags of rubbish!
The Greenford to Gurnell Greenwayers had a fun day today, removing all sorts of rubbish from the River Brent. This included one large butane tank (at least 25 Kg), a modern rental bike which was lurking there and 53 bags of very smelly rubbish. This was a canoe job, dislodging items which had become trapped behind a fallen tree and for waders, who were downstream waiting to catch them. Others cleaned the banks. Photos of these heroes are below.
April actions.
A few events in the park this April. In the spring glade at the northern entrance, the snake’s head fritillaries have made their expected April appearance, with more are flowering every day now. Very nice close up!
Nearly-200-pocket-parks-will-help-transform-the-nation
It is not just Perivale Park that is getting some attention. The Government has just announced the winners of a national competition called “Pocket Parks”.
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The “Greenwayers” tidy up Costons Brook.
Costons Brook is one of two waterways in Perivale Park, being a tributary to the larger River Brent. It arises from perhaps three streams flowing from the north-west of the park, one apparently originating from the nearby Metropolitan business park. Tracing the others will require access to specialist maps! At any rate it flows out of a culvert near the children’s playground in the park, with an aspect that has recently become very much more accessible now that the blackthorn trees on each bank have been removed.
Early spring in the Park, 2019.
Its been a wet and windy spring so far. Here are some photos of the entrance to Perivale Park near to the South Greenford station/ A40 entrance.
A suggestion for planting a new tree species in the park …
Many new trees have been planted, or shortly will be planted in Perivale Park. Travelling in Morocco, we came across a very unusual species of tree and it struck me it would look really good to have one in the park. I think it would attract many new visitors!
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Ice skating anyone?
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!
Ealing Parks Foundation Open Evening.
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.
The Gurnell-Greenford Greenwayers
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.
Perivale Park activity in January
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?).
A LIDAR map of Perivale Park.
LIDAR (light and RADAR map) is a 3D mapping technique that detects surface features which are not otherwise discernible from the ground. One of the Ealing park rangers (thanks James!) pointed me to this site; https://houseprices.io/lab/lidar/map?ref=TQ15148280 which provides a postcode based map of UK LIDAR data. Here it is for Perivale Park.
Trees for Cities Perivale Planting (+ double rainbow as a bonus).
Trees for Cities is a charity which mobilizes armies of volunteers to go plant trees. Today, it was the turn of Perivale Park, part of the new Greenford to Gurnell Greenway project.
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Sunrise in Perivale Park.
You obviously have to be up fairly early to see this aspect of the Park. Here is sunrise on the morning of November 14, 2018 at ~07.10 am.
Greenford to Gurnell Leisure Centre Greenway
I have previously mentioned this flagship plan by Ealing council for enhancing the Perivale Park area. Today the plan was published, along with an invitation for people to comment. I do urge anyone reading this to do so!
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First London National Park City Network Forum.
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.
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Station walks (relaunched) from South Greenford station.
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.
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The Greenford-Gurnell Greenway starts to take shape.
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.
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Perivale Park bulb planting, October 27th, 2018.
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.
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Botanic Gardens – 1452 to 1673.
Perivale Park: the orchard project starts!
One of the (several) projects under way in the park this autumn is the preparation of an orchard area, replacing the old bowling green.
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A survey of the plant ( + bee & spider) life in Perivale West Meadows.
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.
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Greenford to Gurnell Greenway Project.
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.