1.
Kingsbury
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Kingsbury is a district of northwest London in the London Borough of Brent. The name Kingsbury means The Kings Manor and its ancient scope stretches north and west to include Queensbury and parts of Kenton and Wembley Park in other directions. Kingsbury was in 2001 a ward and in 2011 was identifiable with the Fryent, about 25% of Kingsbury is Fryent Country Park, forming the southern quarter. It is of highly mixed density, ranging from high rise to suburban to a wildlife reserve in the country park. Kingsbury was historically a parish of a fairly modest 6.9 square kilometres in the Hundred of Gore. Following local government redrawing of electoral wards Kingsbury corresponds to the Fryent and Barnhill wards and in all of its various older guises, the early English kings had parted with their manor of Kingsbury long before the Conquest. An estate called Tunworth, in the part of Kingsbury parish, was granted by Edwy to his thegn Lyfing in 957. Thereafter the overlordship of Kingsbury descended with Edgware manor, by 1086 on the Domesday survey of property, Ernulfs manor in Kingsbury had been subinfeudated to Albold as Lord. It was not mentioned again until 1317, when, under the name of the manor of Kingsbury, Kingsbury developed little in housing and population in the 19th century, remaining a polyfocal village. In this age, Oliver Goldsmith, writer and playwright, lived at Hyde Farm, Kingsbury, although it lay close to London, development started slowly, and it was not until after World War I that the district became built up. The number of inhabited houses in the parish increased from just 140 in 1901 to 3,937 in 1931. By 1951 this had risen to 11,776, between 1921 and 1931 Kingsburys population increased by 796%. John Logie Bairds experimental television transmissions from the United Kingdom to Berlin, Germany were transmitted from the block of Kingsbury Manor. From 1923 to 1979 Kingsbury Road was the location of the Vanden Plas specialist motor body works, body makers for Bentley and later part of Austin, BMC, the site is now Kingsbury Trading Estate. In 1894 Kingsbury was included in the district of Wembley. However, as Kingsbury had only three councillors on the district council to Wembleys nine, Kingsburys councillors felt the needs of the area were not well-served. In 1900 Kingsbury became an urban district with six councillors. The new council was immediately involved in controversy and in 1906 it failed to make a rate or meet its financial commitments, following an inquiry initiated by ratepayers, the councillors numbered nine, not halting fiscal accusations directed towards the initial three councillors
2.
London Borough of Brent
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The London Borough of Brent is a London borough in north west London, and forms part of Outer London. The major areas are Kilburn, Wembley and Harlesden, most of the eastern border is formed by the Roman road Watling Street, which is now the modern A5. Brent has a mixture of residential, industrial and commercial land, Brent is home to Wembley Stadium, one of the countrys biggest landmarks, as well as Wembley Arena. The local authority is Brent London Borough Council, the borough has seen illegal dumping on the borough’s streets between 2013/14 and 2014/15 surge by 84 per cent, the most recorded by a local authority in England. Brent has the highest proportion of housing benefit claims by private tenants in the country as a percentage of all according to the Financial Times. Brent was formed in 1965 from the area of the former Municipal Borough of Wembley and its name derives from the River Brent which runs through the borough. Brent is divided into 21 Electoral Wards, some wards share a name with the traditional areas above, others include Barnhill, Dudden Hill, Fryent, Mapesbury and Welsh Harp. The Brent borough includes three parliamentary constituencies, Brent North, Brent Central, and Hampstead and Kilburn, which part of the London Borough of Camden. Before the 2010 United Kingdom general election it was divided into three constituencies contained wholly within the borough - Brent South, Brent East and Brent North, Brent London Borough Council is elected every four years, with currently 63 councillors being elected at each election. Labour regained control in 2010 and increased their majority at the 2014 election, as of the 2014 election the council is composed of the following councillors, - The leader of the Council is Labour Councillor Muhammed Butt. In 1801, the parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district built up. When the railways arrived the rate of growth increased. The population peaked in the 1960s, when began to relocate from London. Brent is among the most diverse localities in the country, with large Asian and Indian, Black African, Black Caribbean, Irish, and Eastern European minority communities. In the 2001 Census, the borough had a population of 263,464 – of whom 127,806 were male, and 135,658 female. Of those stating a choice,47. 71% described themselves as Christian,17. 71% as Hindu,12. 26% as Muslim and 10% as having no religion. Of the population,39. 96% were in employment and 7. 86% in part-time employment – compared to a London average of 42. 64% and 8. 62%
3.
All Souls College, Oxford
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All Souls College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become Fellows, All Souls is one of the wealthiest colleges in Oxford, with a financial endowment of £286. 4m. However, since the Colleges principal source of revenue is its endowment, All Souls is a registered charity under English law. The college is located on the side of the High Street adjoining Radcliffe Square to the west. To the east is The Queens College with Hertford College to the North, the current Warden is Sir John Vickers, a graduate of Oriel College, Oxford. The College was founded by Henry VI of England and Henry Chichele, the Statutes provided for the Warden and forty fellows – all to take Holy Orders, twenty-four to study arts, philosophy and theology, and sixteen to study civil or canon law. Today the College is primarily a research institution. The College now has no undergraduate members, All Souls did once have them, especially in the early 17th century on the instigation of Robert Hovenden, in order to provide the fellows with servientes. The admission of undergraduates for this purpose was abandoned in the 19th century, the All Souls Library was founded through a bequest from Christopher Codrington, a Fellow of the College. Christopher Codrington bequeathed books worth £6,000, in addition to £10,000 in currency and this bequest allowed the library to be built and endowed. Christopher Codrington was born in Barbados, and amassed his fortune from his sugar planation in the West Indies, the library was completed in 1751, and has been in continuous use since then. The modern library comprises some 185,000 items, about a third of which were published before 1800, the collections are particularly strong in Law and History. Built between 1438 and 1442, the chapel remained largely unchanged until the Commonwealth, Oxford, having been a largely Royalist stronghold, suffered under the Puritans wrath. The 42 misericords date from the Chapels building, and show a resemblance to the misericords at Higham Ferrers, both may have been carved by Richard Tyllock. Christopher Wren was a Fellow from 1653, and in 1658 produced a sundial for the College and this was originally placed on the South wall of the Chapel, until it was moved to the quadrangle in 1877. During the 1660s a screen was installed in the Chapel, which was based on a design by Wren, however, this screen needed to be rebuilt by 1713. By the mid-19th century the Chapel was in great need of renovation, each year several dozen typically do so. Two examination fellows are elected each year, although the college has awarded a single place in previous years
4.
London General Omnibus Company
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The London General Omnibus Company or LGOC, was the principal bus operator in London between 1855 and 1933. It was also, for a period between 1909 and 1912, a motor bus manufacturer. The London General Omnibus Company was founded in 1855 to amalgamate and regulate the many independent horse-drawn omnibus services then operating in London, originally an Anglo-French enterprise, also known as the Compagnie Generale des Omnibus de Londres, the LGOC soon became the largest omnibus operator in London. It bought out hundreds of independently owned buses and established a consistent level of service for its fleet, within a year, the LGOC controlled 600 of Londons 810 omnibuses. Under its chairman Sir John Pound, in 1902 it looked at an option to purchase a competitor, the Star Omnibus Company, LGOC began using motor omnibuses in 1902, and the last LGOC horse-drawn bus ran on 25 October 1911. In 1908 the LGOC bought the Road Car Company, the Vanguard Company, the merger of these three companies gave the new and enlarged LGOC the most experienced operating and engineering personnel of any operator - and perhaps manufacturer - in the country at the time. In 1912, the Underground Group, which owned most of the London Underground, in 1933, the LGOC, along with the rest of the Underground Group, became part of the new London Passenger Transport Board. The name London General fell into disuse, and London Transport instead became synonymous with the red London bus, LGOC began producing motor omnibuses for its own use in 1909 at works established in premises inherited from Vanguard at Blackhorse Lane, Walthamstow, London. The first model built was the LGOC X-type, which was designed by Frank Searle, the X-type was followed by the LGOC B-type, from the same designer. After the Underground Groups acquisition of the LGOC in 1912, the bus manufacturing elements of the LGOC were split out to create the Associated Equipment Company, the new London General was initially privatised by management buy-out, and acquired by the Go-Ahead Group in 1996. The London General Omnibus Company was featured in the ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, played by actor Kenneth Branagh, was depicted arriving in a green horse-drawn London General Omnibus Company Limited bus at the start of the ceremony
5.
Fryent Country Park
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Fryent Country Park together with Barn Hill Open Space is a large park situated in the north of the London Borough of Brent. It covers 103 hectares of rolling fields and small woods, Fryent is also a ward of the London Borough of Brent. Its population at the 2011 Census was 13,445, Barn Hill in the south-west of the park is a wooded hill that rises to 86m. A fish pond is found at the top of the Hill, numerous other ponds can be seen in the rest of the park. Gotfords Hill and Beane Hill are other points in the park. Parallel to Fryent Way is an ancient track known as Hell Lane or Eldestrete which may date back to Saxon times or earlier, the woodland comprises French oak, hornbeam, elm, ash and some fruit trees which also occur in the hedges along with blackthorn. The park is considered the best surviving example of Middlesex countryside in the Brent basin and has a population of the rare plant the narrow-leaved bitter-cress. Barn Hill called Bardonhill in 1547 was landscaped by Humphry Repton in 1792 as part of a local country park. The Fryent Park hay meadows are small remnants of two manors one originally in the ownership of King Edward the Confessor, the park is bisected by the A4140 Fryent Way that links Kingsbury with Wembley. A car park is available halfway down this road, the nearest underground is at Kingsbury Station on the Jubilee line. The 206 bus terminates a short distance from the park, the Capital Ring footpath crosses the site. However, the road Fryent Way, linking Kingsbury Circle and Salmon Street lacks a much needed bus service to residents and students alike around the area. The Barn Hill Open Area, or at least the summit of it, is nearer Wembley Park Station, Fryent Country Park was awarded a Green Flag Award in 2010/2011 for being a well-managed park or open space. The Green Flag Award scheme is the national standard for parks and green spaces in England. It is also a Local Nature Reserve, in 2014 London in Bloom awarded the park a silver gilt award in its Country Park of the Year category. The Liddiard Cup cross country race is staged here in late October. No.173 Explorer Map, London North, Brent, Wembley, Willesden and Kingsbury, A pictorial history. Brent Councils local management plan Barn Hill Conservation Group’s website Barn Hill Conservation Group’s 2007 management programme
6.
Heritage Lottery Fund
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The Heritage Lottery Fund was established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. The Fund opened for applications in 1994, although HLF is branded as though a body in its own right, it is administered by a pre-existing non-departmental public body – the Board of Trustees of the National Heritage Memorial Fund. The turnover of HLF is considerably larger than the work of the NHMF. Decisions about policies and large applications are made by the Trustees of the NHMF, there are also decision-making committees in the English regions, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Head office is in London, with offices in nine English regions and in Scotland, Wales. The Heritage Lottery Fund offers a range of different grant programmes from £3,000 to over £5 million
7.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation
8.
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
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The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is a London borough in East London, England. It lies around 9 miles east of Central London and it is an Outer London borough and the south is within the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway, an area designated as a national priority for urban regeneration. At the 2011 census it had a population of 187,000, the local authority is Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council. Barking and Dagenham was one of six London boroughs to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, the borough has also been found to be the most unhappy place to live with the fewest new business incorporations. The borough was formed in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963 as the London Borough of Barking, the borough was renamed Barking and Dagenham in 1980. In 1994 the part of the Becontree estate in Redbridge was transferred to Barking, the area covered by Mayesbrook Park in the Borough was once part of the historic Manor of Jenkins, seat of the Fanshawe family. The borough borders the London Borough of Havering to the east with the River Rom forming part of the boundary and it borders the London Borough of Newham to the west with the River Roding forming much of the border. To the south is the River Thames which forms the boundary with the London Borough of Bexley. To the north the borough forms a thin protrusion between Havering and the London Borough of Redbridge in order to encompass Chadwell Heath,530 hectares within the borough are designated as part of the Metropolitan Green Belt. The boroughs major districts include Barking, Becontree and Dagenham and it borders five other London boroughs, Newham, Redbridge, Havering, and Greenwich and Bexley to the south of the Thames. Much of the housing of the borough was constructed by the London County Council during the period of 1921-1939. Since the decline of industries in the 1980s, employment has shifted towards service sector jobs. Much of the borough is within the London Riverside area of the Thames Gateway zone and is the site of house building. A £500 million budget has been earmarked for redevelopment of the principal district of Barking. In 1801, the parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 1,937, and the area was characterised by farming, woodland. This last industry employed 1,370 men and boys by 1850, the population rose slowly through the 19th century, as the district became built up, and new industries developed around Barking. The population rose dramatically between 1921 and 1931, when the London County Council developed the Becontree Estate and this public housing development of 27,000 homes housed over 100,000 people, split between the then urban district councils of Ilford, Dagenham and Barking. People were rehoused from the slums of the East End, in 1931, the Ford Motor Company relocated to a 500 acres site at Dagenham, and in 1932 the District line was extended to Upminster, bringing further development to the area
9.
Beam Valley Country Park
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Beam Valley Country Park is a 74-hectare park in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Most of it is designated as a Local Nature Reserve called Beam Valley, the park is also designated as two Sites of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, one north and the other south of South Dagenham Road. The park was formerly derelict land and it has woodland and grassland, former gravel pits and the River Beam and Wantz Stream. Birds found on the site include kingfishers, reed warblers, reed buntings, there is archaeological evidence that the site has been used since the Stone Age, and it also has a Roman pottery kiln
10.
Dagenham Village Churchyard
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Dagenham Village Churchyard or St Peter and St Pauls Churchyard is a 0.88 hectare Local Nature Reserve in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is owned by the borough council, the church dates back to the early thirteenth century, and the graveyard has probably been in use for over 800 years. The churchyard contains the Commonwealth war graves of seventeen service personnel, nine from World War I and it was closed to burials in the 1990s, and the church and the council then decided that it should be managed as a nature reserve. Its main importance for wildlife lies in its invertebrates, including butterflies and crickets, woodpeckers feed on an avenue of lime trees, and a family of foxes live in the churchyard. St Peter and St Pauls Churchyard
11.
Eastbrookend Country Park
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Eastbrookend Country Park is an 84-hectare park and Local Nature Reserve in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, in England. Together with the neighbouring Chase Nature Reserve it is designated a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. The site was derelict land, which was turned into a park by large-scale earth-moving to create a landscape with wild flower grassland mixes. Facilities include a millennium centre and a fishing lake and it has a mixture of grazed wetland and dry habitats next to the River Rom. Dagenham Road goes through the park, map of East Brookend Country Park
12.
Mayesbrook Park
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Mayesbrook Park is a 43 hectare public park in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is owned and managed by the borough council, the southern end, which is mainly a large lake, is a Local Nature Reserve. The area covered by the park was part of the historic Manor of Jenkins. The park, which was opened in 1934, was created to meet the need for space for the London County Councils Becontree Housing Estate. The park has a car park, a play area, football pitches, a cricket pitch and pavilion, an athletic track, tennis courts, basketball court. The Mayesbrook Park project has used green infrastructure engineering to address flood water management needs, the southern end has two large lakes which are rich in wildlife, newly planted woodland and rough grassland. The Mayes Brook runs along the western edge, there is access from Lodge Avenue. Mayesbrook is also a ward of the London Borough of Barking, the population of the ward at the 2011 census was 10,342. London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
13.
Parsloes Park
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Parsloes Park is a 58 hectare public park in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is owned and managed by the borough council, a small area opposite the Wren Road entrance is managed for wildlife and designated as a Local Nature Reserve called Parsloes Park Squatts. The park derives its name from the Passelewe family, who owned the land in the thirteenth century, the land was acquired by the London County Council in 1923. The park was opened by MP Christopher Addison on 13 July 1935 and it has a childrens play area, football pitches, tennis courts, a basketball court, a bowling green, and a lake. Parsloes Park Squatts is an area of acid grassland with a historic hedge. There are entrances in Parsloes Avenue, Gale Street and Wren Road, Parsloes is also a ward of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The population of the ward at the 2011 Census was 9,839
14.
Ripple Nature Reserve
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Ripple Nature Reserve is an 8.3 hectare Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation and Local Nature Reserve in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is owned by the borough council, the site is a mixture of woodland, scrub and grassland. Most soils in London are acidic, but this site has an alkaline soil due to the dumping of fuel ash. The most important of these are pyramidal and southern marsh orchids, grey club rush, the site also has large numbers of rabbits and goldfinches. Some rare species of insects are present, including emerald damselfly, access is at the corner of Renwick Road and Thames Road. London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
15.
Scrattons Eco Park
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Scrattons Eco Park or Scrattons Farm Eco Park is a small nature reserve in Dagenham in the London Borough of Havering. It is owned and managed by the council and it was formerly marshland and allotments, but by the late 1990s the former allotments had become overgrown and inaccessible, and it was decided to convert it into an ecological park. It now has blocks of bramble with grass paths, preserving existing trees, the aim is to create a range of habitats for plants, birds, insects and mammals. In 2006 Scrattons Ecopark and extension was designated a nature reserve with an area of two hectares. The entrance to the park is by a footpath at the end of Morrison Road, there is no public access to the extension off Levine Gardens. Map of Scrattons Ecopark and extension
16.
The Chase Nature Reserve
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The Chase is a nature reserve in Dagenham in London. Most of it is in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and it is owned by the boroughs, and managed by London Borough of Barking & Dagenham - Parks & Countryside Ranger Service. The boroughs have designated the sections in their respective boroughs as Local Nature Reserves, the Chase, together with the neighbouring Eastbrookend Country Park, is also designated a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. The River Rom, which is the boundary between the boroughs, runs through the site, with Barking and Dagenham on the west side and it was formerly a site of gravel extraction, and now has a diverse range of habitats. The River Rom has birds such as kingfishers, and the 190 species of birds recorded include skylarks, little ringed plovers and it is also home to around 300 Green Parkeets who make their presence known with much noise, especially at sunset. Other animals include water voles, great crested newts, slow worms, the Black Poplar is Britains rarest native tree, and the site has six of only six hundred female trees. Dry acid grasslands have some unusual species, some areas are gazed by horses. The reserve is divided into a narrow strip along the River Rom north of the road called The Chase. The wooded strip east of the River Rom, which is in Havering, is crossed by a footpath between Roneo Corner, opposite Rom Valley Way, to The Chase, a footpath from Dagenham Road to The Chase goes through the area on the west bank. The southern area is bordered on the west by Eastbrookend Country Park, map of The Chase - Barking. Map of The Chase - Havering
17.
London Borough of Barnet
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The London Borough of Barnet is a suburban London borough in North London, England, forming part of Outer London. It is the second largest London borough by population with 331,500 inhabitants and covers an area of 86.74 square kilometres, the fourth highest. It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs, Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east, the borough was formed in 1965 from parts of the counties of Middlesex and Hertfordshire. The local authority is Barnet London Borough Council, based in Hendon, the Act did not include a name for the new borough. A joint committee of the due to be amalgamated suggested Northgate or Northern Heights. Keith Joseph, the Minister of Housing and Local Government, eventually chose Barnet, the place name Barnet is derived from the Old English bærnet meaning Land cleared by burning. The area covered by the borough has a long history. Evidence of 1st-century Roman pottery manufacturing has been found at Brockley Hill and Roman coins from the 3rd, both sites are on the Roman road Watling Street from London and St Albans which now forms the western border of the borough. Hendon is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, but the districts of Barnet, Edgware, in 1471 the Battle of Barnet was fought in Monken Hadley, just within the present boroughs boundary. It was here that Yorkist troops led by King Edward IV killed the Kingmaker Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick and his brother, John Neville, individual articles describe the history and development of the districts of Church End, East Finchley, Edgware, Golders Green and North Finchley. The residents of London Borough of Barnet are represented at Westminster by Members of Parliament for three parliamentary constituencies, Chipping Barnet is represented by Theresa Villiers. Finchley and Golders Green is represented by Mike Freer, Hendon, in 2010 the most marginal Conservative-held seat in London with a majority of 106 votes, is represented by Matthew Offord. The borough is divided into 21 wards, each with 3 councillors, following the local government election on 4 May 2006 the Conservative party gained a working majority and full control of the council. Mike Freer became leader of the council on 11 May 2006, replacing Brian Salinger as Conservative group leader, Barnet had £27.4 million invested in Icelandic banks Glitnir and Landsbanki when they collapsed October 2008. A report showed that Barnet Council failed to correct procedures when depositing the money. Campaigning on parking, he beat Conservative politician Brian Coleman at the 2012 London Assembly election overturning a 20,000 vote deficit and turning this into a 21,000 vote majority. In 2009, the authority started to introduce a new model of local government delivery in the borough, called Future Shape, the first stages of Future Shape were agreed by the councils cabinet in July 2009. The mainly public-sector union UNISON commissioned its own report on the involved in Future Shape
18.
Big Wood and Little Wood
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Big Wood and Little Wood are two patches of woodland in Hampstead Garden Suburb in the London Borough of Barnet. They are a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, Big Wood is 7.3 hectares and Little Wood is 1.2 hectares. The woods have been forest for over 1000 years, and were part of land given to Wealdheri. The area remained in ownership until the twentieth century. In 1933 the freehold of the woods was transferred to Finchley Urban District Council, and in 1965 the land passed to its successor, the London Borough of Barnet. Prior to the construction of the Denman Drive North and South in 1912 on the field between Little and Big Woods, the land was used for grazing elephants, pedunculate oak is the main canopy tree, together with sessile oak, hornbeam and wild cherry. It also contains a large population of wild service trees, while the undergrowth is dominated by bramble and ivy. Breeding birds include tawny owl, nuthatch and treecreeper, at the Temple fortune Hill entrance to Big Wood there is a new gate donated by local people as a memorial to 29 Garden Suburb residents who died in World War II. It stands on an ancient eighth century boundary, Little Wood has an open-air theatre built in 1920. There is access to Big Wood from Bigwood Road, Temple Fortune Hill and Denman Drive South, Nature reserves in Barnet Barnet parks and open spaces Hewlett, Janet. IGiGL – helping you find Londons parks and wildlife sites, archived from the original on October 15,2012
19.
Brent Reservoir
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The Brent Reservoir is a reservoir between Hendon and Wembley Park in London. It straddles the boundary between the boroughs of Brent and Barnet and is owned by the Canal & River Trust, the reservoir takes its informal name from a public house called The Welsh Harp, which stood nearby until the early 1970s. It is a 68.6 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest, the reservoir is fed by the Silk Stream and the River Brent, and its outflow is the River Brent. It is said to contain water to fill 3 million baths. The reservoir has a centre, home to Welsh Harp Sailing Club, Wembley Sailing Club, the Sea Cadets. In 1960, it hosted the Womens European Rowing Championships. Plans for the construction laid in 1803 were abandoned because of cost, however canals continued to develop in the early 19th century and there were water supply problems. The reservoir was constructed by William Hoof between 1834 and 1835, the water flooded much of Cockman’s Farm, to supply the Regents Canal at Paddington. It was called Kingsbury Reservoir and its 69 acres spread between Old Kingsbury Church and Edgware Road, Hoof, who was awarded the tender for the work received the sum of £2,740 and six shillings. Construction did not proceed without problems, in August 1835, a few months before completion, additional building was completed in December 1837 to extend the reservoir. In 1841 after seven days of rain the dam head collapsed. It was after this that a supervisor was employed for the first time, at its greatest extent it covered 400 acres in 1853, but was reduced to 195 acres in the 1890s, and subsequently reduced to 110 acres. During the second half of the 19th century the area became a destination for recreation and evening entertainment, Warner, who in 1858 became licensee of the Old Welsh Harp Tavern. The tavern stood on the Edgware Road, near where it crossed the Brent, Warner, who fought with distinction in the Crimean War, created the tavern along the lines of the London Pleasure gardens. For 40 years, Warner made the Old Welsh Harp Tavern one of Londons most popular places, the amusements were focused not just on the inn, but around the reservoir. Warner operated a track until an Act of Parliament made it illegal. The first greyhound races with mechanical hares took place here in 1876, in 1891, there was an attempt by Capazza to launch his Patent Parachute Balloon, which failed to leave the ground. Accounts record nasty incidents among the 5000 spectators and these activities attracted a mixed clientele and crime and violence were not uncommon
20.
Coppett's Wood and Scrublands
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Coppetts Wood and Scrublands is a 14.5 hectare Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade I, between Muswell Hill and Friern Barnet in the London Borough of Barnet. It is part of the Coppetts Wood and Glebelands Local Nature Reserve, the main trees are oak and hornbeam, and ground flora include bluebell and garlic mustard. Breeding birds include woodpeckers, tawny owls and sparrowhawks, a small pond has a clump of yellow iris, and common frogs and smooth newts. Scrublands has a variety of habitats and some plants such as imperforate St Johns-wort. There are several species of insects. Coppetts Wood was once part of a forest known as Finchley Wood and it also had a reputation as a haunt of highwaymen. In the nineteenth century a sewage works was built on the site and it was closed in 1963, but still has its legacy in the rich variety of plants in the Scrublands. In the Second World War it was used for military training, access to the site is from Colney Hatch Lane and North Circular Road. The Coppetts Wood Conservationists meet on Sunday mornings throughout the year with the aim of maintaining the nature reserve, increasing its biodiversity, Coppetts is also a ward of the London Borough of Barnet. At 2011 Census the ward population was 17,250, Coppetts Wood on the Woodland Trust website Coppetts Wood Conservationists Hewlett, Janet
21.
Glebelands Local Nature Reserve
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Glebelands is Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade I, in Colney Hatch in the London Borough of Barnet. It is also part of the Coppetts Wood and Glebelands Local Nature Reserve and it is the largest surviving fragment of the habitat of the old Finchley Common. The site is wooded with areas of tall scrub and grassland. The main trees are hawthorn, oak, ash and silver birch, the wetlands have a number of vary rare flora, and it is the only known London site for lesser water plantain. There is a diversity of breeding birds. Glebelands is located at the corner of the North Circular Road and High Road, Nature reserves in Barnet Coppetts Wood and Glebelands LNR website Coppetts Wood and Glebelands. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02
22.
Moat Mount Open Space
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Moat Mount Open Space is a 110-hectare park and nature reserve in Mill Hill in the London Borough of Barnet. Most of the site is open to the public, but Mote End Farm, scratchwood and Moat Mount are a Local Nature Reserve. Moat Mount is a large, hilly open space with views from the top of the hill. Most of it lies over London Clay, much of the Countryside Park is grassland, which has a diversity of wild flowers and many butterflies. The Park also has Leg of Mutton pond and several woods, such as Target Wood. Moat Mount also includes Moat Mount Outdoor Centre and Campsite, which has a range of activities for local schools, Dollis Brook rises in Mote End Farm. The site was owned by Irwin Cox, the Conservative MP for Harrow from 1899 to 1906. There are also entrances to the reserve from the back of Mill Hill County High School, Barnet Road, from Hendon Wood Lane along the route of the Greenwalk and the Loop, and from Bedford Road. The Dollis Valley Greenwalk starts at the car park, and the London Loop goes through the reserve, scratchwood is on the other side of Barnet Way, with access by an underpass at Courtland Avenue. Brunos Field is a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade II, at Grid Ref TQ215934, in the mid nineteenth century the field was part of the park of Highfield House, which was then owned by Lady Raffles, the widow of Stamford Raffles. Most of it is now used as pasture for cattle from the Royal Veterinary College and it has a varied topography with a pond and small streams in boggy areas, while grass areas have typical pasture herbs. Some of the oldest oaks mark eighteenth century field boundaries, the field is private land and there is no public access. Barnet parks and open spaces Nature reserves in Barnet
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Oak Hill Wood
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Oak Hill Wood is a 10-hectare Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation Grade I, in East Barnet, London. It is owned by the London Borough of Barnet, and part of it is a 5. 5-hectare nature reserve managed by the London Wildlife Trust and it is an ancient woodland, dominated by pedunculate oak, hornbeam and ash. A shrub layer includes hawthorns, field maples and wild service trees, breeding birds include tawny owls, nuthatches, tree creepers and stock doves. A small stream flows through the wood to join Pymmes Brook, there is also an area of meadow which contains common wild flowers such as ladys bedstraw and common knapweed. It has common butterflies such as gatekeeper, common blue and large blue, Oak Hill Wood dates back to at least the 11th century, when it was owned by the Church. After the dissolution of the monasteries, Church lands were sold in 1536–38, in 1930 East Barnet Council acquired the land, and Oak Hill Park, including Oak Hill Wood, was opened to the public in 1933. In 1997 the wood was designated a Local Nature Reserve, an area of rough grassland in Oak Hill Park is included in the LNR. There is access from Mansfield Avenue, Daneland and Brookside, as well as from Oak Hill Park
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Rowley Green Common
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Rowley Green Common is a six hectare Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Importance Metropolitan for Nature Conservation in Arkley, north London. It is also registered common land and it is mainly woodland and heathland, although the most important habitat is the peat bog, one of very few left in London. This hosts star sedge, which is rare in London, the site has hedges at least three hundred years old, and a large pond is also of botanical interest. It was once part of Shenleybury Manor in the parish of Shenley, the site has a long history of use. Gravel was once dug on it and this led to the formation of ponds, cattle were grazed on it until the 1940s and the army used it for manoeuvres during the Second World War. Rowley Green was obtained as public space in 1934 when Barnet Urban District Council bought the land from the Lord of the Manor. It was declared a Local Nature Reserve by the London Borough of Barnet in 1991, access is from Rowley Lane, next to Rowley Green Farm. Barnet parks and open spaces Nature reserves in Barnet Rowley Green Common, Londons Heathland Heritage Rowley Green Common on the VisitWoods website Hewlett, Janet
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Scratchwood
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Scratchwood is an extensive, mainly wooded, country park in Mill Hill in the London Borough of Barnet. The 57-hectare site is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, Scratchwood is a remnant of the once great Middlesex Forest, and has the largest area of ancient woodland which survives in Barnet. Parts of it may go back to the woods which grew up after the end of the last ice age, the ancient woodland consists mainly of sessile oak and hornbeam, with some wild service trees, while secondary woodland areas are mainly birch, hawthorns and sycamore. In the view of the London Ecology Unit, Scratchwood is the Boroughs best woodland in terms of floral diversity, the herb rich grassland and the pond have a number of rare plants. Breeding birds include nuthatch, lesser whitethroat and cuckoo, the areas which are now nature reserves were purchased by Hendon Urban District Council in 1923. The main entrance is by the car park, which is accessed from the lane of Barnet Way. There is also access by a footpath from Barnet Lane in Elstree, the London Loop crosses the reserve. Mill Hill Golf Course is a 60-hectare Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade I,150 years ago it was farmland, and it later became part of a country estate which included Scratchwood and Moat Mount. The golf course was created in 1927, the most important feature of the site is its rich birdlife, including the rare willow tit. Deans Brook rises on the course, and a number of streams converge towards Stoneyfields Lake. The lake and streams support many species of water loving plants, the area close to Scratchwood is acid grassland which has uncommon species such as dyers greenweed and heath speedwell. There are some areas of woodland, such as Hemmings Wood at the southern end of the course. Barnet parks and open spaces Nature reserves in Barnet Scratchwood on the VisitWoods website
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Totteridge Fields
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Totteridge Fields is a 97 hectare Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation in Totteridge in the London Borough of Barnet. The SINC includes the privately owned Highwood Hill, and at the end is a seven hectare Local Nature Reserve owned by Barnet Council. The Local Nature Reserve is an ancient hay meadow habitat consisting of three fields, known as Nutt Field, Hen Mead and Nearer Slay Land, with hawthorn and blackthorn hedgerows, the entrance is on Hendon Wood Lane, Arkley. The main part of the consists of a large area of uncultivated grassland. The grassland has a range of wildflowers, such as sneezewort. The site also hosts the declining skylark and several rare beetles, Dollis Valley Greenwalk and London Loop cross Totteridge Fields. Nature reserves in Barnet Hewlett, Janet
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London Borough of Bexley
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The London Borough of Bexley /ˈbɛksli/ is a London borough in south-east London, England. There is a border with Dartford borough to the east and Sevenoaks district to the south-east, the London Borough of Bexley is within the Thames Gateway, an area designated as a national priority for urban regeneration. The local authority is Bexley London Borough Council, Erith was a port on the River Thames until the 17th century, the opening of the sewage works at nearby Crossness in the late 19th century turned it into an industrial town. Todays settlement pattern is the result of the extension of the London influence. Until the 19th century it was an area with a few isolated buildings such as the Georgian Danson House, with the coming of the railways building began apace, although the area is still composed of many disconnected settlements, interspersed with area of open ground and parks. The town of Bexley, Ohio, a suburb of the city of Columbus, was named at the suggestion of a resident, Mr. Kilbourne, whose familys roots were in Bexley. In addition, a suburb of Sydney, Australia bears the name of Bexley, the London Borough of Bexley itself also derived its name from the village of Bexley. The village currently lies within the London Borough, the coat of arms of the borough includes symbols for the main rivers in the area, the industry and the border to Kent. The administrative centre of the Borough is in Bexleyheath, there are 21 wards represented on Bexley Council, each ward elects three councillors,63 in all. The wards are shown on the accompanying map and this high land, whose geology is the sand and pebbles of the Blackheath beds, and which results in heathland, provided the line on the old Roman road ran between Crayford and Welling. The land falls away to the north of the ground, across the Erith Marshes to the River Thames. There is further ridge of higher ground from the west terminating at Sidcup. The major centres of settlement can be considered in two parts, the older established erstwhile villages, and the areas of suburban houses and centres. Among the former are Erith, in the 17th century a port on the Thames, by the earlier 20th century, both were created Urban District Councils, as was Foots Cray. Thamesmead, the new town built on what was the Erith Marshes, extends into the Borough, Crayford was mentioned in the Domesday Book, and its parish later included the hamlets of North End and Slade Green. The map of Bexley shows that a proportion of its area comprises suburbia. Some named places, like Albany Park and Barnehurst, are given to developments engendered by the building of the railways. Some came into being when large estates and farmland were broken up for the purpose of suburban building
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Crossness Nature Reserve
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Crossness Nature Reserve is a 25.5 hectare local nature reserve in Crossness in the London Borough of Bexley. It is part of the Erith Marshes Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, the site is next to Crossness Sewage Works, and is owned and managed by Thames Water. Crossness is part of the original Thames floodplain called Erith Marshes and it is one of the few remaining areas of grazing marsh in London, and it has the largest reedbeds in Bexley. It also has ponds and ditches, and areas of scrub and it is a major site for water voles, and 130 species of birds have been recorded, together with some rare invertebrates, including five species of water beetles. Scarce plants include knotted-hedge parsley and Borrer’s saltmarsh grass, there are footpaths through the eastern part of the site, accessed from Norman Road and Eastern Way, but the western part is closed to the public
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Danson Park
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Danson Park is a public park in the London Borough of Bexley, South East London, located between Welling and Bexleyheath. At 75 hectares, it is the second largest public park in the borough, and it is often considered the finest green open space in the borough, and is registered Grade II on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England. The park also gives its name to the ward that covers the park. The park is located at grid reference TQ472752, the southern boundary of both the park and the ward is delineated by Rochester Way, the A2 road. In the 1760s, Boyd built Danson House, a Grade I-listed Georgian mansion that stands in the centre of the park, the landscape was designed and laid out between 1761 and 1763, by either Capability Brown or his assistant Nathaniel Richmond. By the time of Boyds death the Danson Estates comprised over 600 acres of pleasure grounds, the other key previous occupant of the estates was Alfred Bean, a railway engineer who bought the property in 1862. Bean was the force behind the Bexleyheath Railway Company, and chairman of Bexley Local Board. Outlying areas were sold off for residential development according to Beans will, on the death of his widow in 1921, when it was auctioned, and eventually acquired by Bexley Urban District Council for £16,000 in 1924. The council spent another £3,500 converting the estate into a public park, the park was opened to the public in 1925 by Princess Mary, Land was reserved for football pitches, tennis courts and a bowling green, which have been added over time. In 1929 the Morris Wheeler Gates were erected at the north-east corner of the park, donated by Alfred Morris Wheeler, an open-air swimming pool opened in 1936, and in 1964 the Boathouse and Cafe opened to the public. The park grounds were restored, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, in 2006, the park is now used extensively by the community. The one hectare Danson Park Bog Garden is a Local Nature Reserve, on 30 September 1937, Lord Cornwallis presented the charter re-designating Bexley from an Urban District Council to a municipal borough under the large oak tree in the centre of Danson Park. The oak tree, which is over 200 years old, has since known as Charter Oak. It is a feature of the park, and is also featured on the London Borough of Bexley coat of arms. The tree is now enclosed to protect its root system, the park regularly hosts circuses, fun-fairs, firework displays, and various other large public events. A free 5k run, part of the international parkrun events, boating and sailing are possible on the lake, also used by various water-sports clubs and societies. The park contains the Danson Stables, a house in a building previously used as the stable block for Danson House, and The Boathouse. Until 2013 the park played host to the Danson Festival, an annual large-scale two-day event run by Bexley Council, the festival included many stalls such as arts, crafts, charities and others, as well as a fun fair with various rides
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Foots Cray Meadows
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Foots Cray Meadows is an area of parkland and woodland 97 hectares in size, within the London Borough of Bexley, England. It borders the suburbs of Albany Park, Sidcup, Foots Cray, North Cray, the River Cray runs through it in a north-easterly direction. The London Loop, a recreational walking path around London, also known as the M25 for walkers, runs through the meadows parallel to the river from Sidcup Place. Two notable bridges cross the River Cray in the meadows, Five Arches bridge, the Meadows are a Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. They have also received a Green Flag Award, there is access from Rectory Lane, among other places. Adjacent to the meadows is an area known locally as the wasteland, the area was originally a part of the Footscray Place estate, and during the 18th century the Five Arches bridge was built. At the same time, an almshouse was built adjacent to the woods, on 18 October 1949 Footscray Place caught fire and the house was destroyed. The ruins were demolished and the grounds became Foots Cray Meadows. In the early 2000s, Five Arches bridge was renovated with new stone, along with the Penny Farthing bridge just upstream
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Lesnes Abbey Woods
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Lesnes Abbey Woods, sometimes known as Abbey Wood, is an area of ancient woodland in southeast London, England. It is located near to, and named after, the ruined Lesnes Abbey in the London Borough of Bexley, the woods are adjacent to Bostall Woods. The woods have several features dating back to the Bronze Age, the abbey kept fishponds which were fed by a small stream running down through the woods, and these are still visible today though the water level is often low. Local community group Lesnes Abbey Conservation Volunteers run practical conservation events to help manage the woodland and they are a registered environmental conservation charity run by local people. Lesnes Abbey Conservation Volunteers objectives include, To conserve and maintain for the public benefit Lesnes Abbey Wood, to advance public education in the principles and practices of nature conservation, and the archaeological and geological interest of Lesnes Abbey Wood and its environments. LACV is a community group which is open to all ages and abilities, the groups conservation tasks include hedge laying, coppicing, fence repair, pond restoration, glade creation, tree planting and heath land restoration. The group also does various wildlife surveys in order to monitor the native wildlife. Lesnes Abbey Woods is a Local Nature Reserve and includes the Abbey Wood geological Site of Special Scientific Interest, members of the public can dig for fossils in a small area called the Fossil Bank with the permission of the Lesnes Abbey ranger
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London Borough of Bromley
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The London Borough of Bromley /ˈbrɒmli/ is one of the 32 London boroughs which make up Greater London. The London Borough of Bromley is south of the River Thames which flows through London, the borough is named after Bromley, its principal town. The local authority is Bromley London Borough Council, the borough is the largest in Greater London by area and occupies 59 square miles, of which the majority is Metropolitan Green Belt land. It is also perhaps the most rural, most of the population lives in the north and west of the borough, with an outlier at Biggin Hill in the far south. The borough shares borders with the London Boroughs of Lewisham and Greenwich to the North, Bexley to the North East, Southwark and Lambeth to the North West, as well as Croydon to the West. It also borders the Sevenoaks District of Kent to the East and South, westerham Heights, the highest point in London at an altitude of 804 feet, is located on the southern boundary. The Prime Meridian passes through Bromley, about 30% of the land in Bromley is farmland, the highest figure of a London Borough. The borough was formed, as were all other London boroughs, in 1969, after a local campaign, the village of Knockholt was transferred back to Kent to become part of the Sevenoaks Rural District and later Sevenoaks District. Before 1965 it had part of the Orpington Urban District. The borough is partly urban and partly rural, the former to the north, other smaller suburban areas include Anerley and nearby Crystal Palace, and Penge. In addition, parts of Mottingham, Sydenham, Swanley and Ruxley lie within the borough boundaries, there are two main built-up areas in the southern part of the borough, Hayes and West Wickham. Biggin Hill, Downe and Keston with Leaves Green and Nash are separate, smaller, local attractions include Down House, Chislehurst Caves, Holwood House, Crofton Roman Villa, and the site of The Crystal Palace. Bromley is divided into 22 wards with a total of 60 council seats, after a number of by-elections and a defection, the Conservatives regained control on 5 July 2001. The 22 wards are shown on the accompanying map, ward names often straddle the named settlements and suburban areas above, their boundaries are fixed, whereas the latter are not. In 1801, the parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 8,944. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district built up. When the railways arrived the rate of growth increased. The population peaked in the 1970s, when began to relocate from London
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High Elms Country Park
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High Elms Country Park is an extensive 250-acre public park on the North Downs in Farnborough in the London Borough of Bromley. It is a Local Nature Reserve, and together with the neighbouring Downe Bank, the park surrounds High Elms Golf Course, and has extensive woodland, chiefly oak and beech, chalk meadows and formal gardens. It also has a cafe, a centre, nature and history trails. The rangers of the Bromley Countryside Service, who manage borough owned parks, are based at the park, there is access from High Elms Road and Shire Lane. The history of the High Elms estate can be traced back to the Norman Conquest, in the early nineteenth century it was acquired by the Lubbock family, and in 1840 the astronomer and banker, Sir John Lubbock, 3rd Baronet inherited it on the death of his father. He built a new mansion in the Italian style. In 1938 the estate was sold to Kent County Council and the became a nurses training centre. In 1965 the area part of the London Borough of Bromley. The land then became public space, but in 1967 the mansion burnt down
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Jubilee Country Park
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Jubilee Country Park is a 62-acre public park in Petts Wood in the London Borough of Bromley. It is a Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation and it was purchased by Bromley Council to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 1977, and opened as a park in 1981. The park is part of a wildlife corridor together with Petts Wood. The London Loop goes through it, the park consists of extensive areas of grassland and ancient woodland. The grassland has a population of the rare corkyfruit water dropwort. There is access from Southborough Lane, Blackbrook Lane and Tent Peg Lane, friends of Jubilee Park Jubilee Country Park Local Nature Reserve, London Borough of Bromley
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Scadbury Park
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Scadbury Park is a Local Nature Reserve in Chislehurst in the London Borough of Bromley. It is also a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation and it is over 300 acres, and is part of an extensive wildlife corridor together with Petts Wood and the Jubilee Country Park. It has large areas of ancient woodland, especially oaks, and flowers include Lily of the Valley, ponds have Londons largest population of protected Great Crested Newts. Much of it is undisturbed grassland, and it includes a working farm. The main entrance is in Old Perry Street, also a West Lodge to the estate still exists, also on Old Perry Street. The London Loop passes through it from Sidcup By-Pass Road near its junction with Perry Street to St Pauls Cray Road, the site is first mentioned in the thirteenth century, when it was owned by the de Scathebury family. Queen Elizabeth Is spymaster, Francis Walsingham, was born there, in 1736 Col. John Selwyn purchased the property and owned it until 1742 when he passed it on to Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney, after whom the city of Sydney, Australia was named. The manor was purchased by the London Borough of Bromley in 1983 and opened to the public in 1985
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London Borough of Camden
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The London Borough of Camden /ˈkæmdən/ is a borough in north west London, and forms part of Inner London. The southern reaches of Camden form part of central London, the local authority is Camden London Borough Council. The borough was created in 1965 from the area of the metropolitan boroughs of Hampstead, Holborn, and St Pancras. The borough was named after Camden Town, which had gained its name from Charles Pratt, the transcribed diaries of William Copeland Astbury, recently made available, describe Camden and the surrounding areas in great detail from 1829–1848. There are 162 English Heritage blue plaques in the borough of Camden representing the diverse personalities that have lived there. The area is in the part of the city, reaching from Holborn. Neighbouring areas are the City of Westminster and the City of London to the south, Brent to the west, Barnet and Haringey to the north and Islington to the east. It covers all or part of the N1, N6, N7, N19, NW1, NW2, NW3, NW5, NW6, NW8, EC1, WC1, WC2, W1 and it contains parts of central London. Camden Town Hall is located in Judd Street in St Pancras, Camden London Borough Council was controlled by the Labour Party continuously from 1971 until the 2006 election, when the Liberal Democrats became the largest party. In 2006, two Green Cllrs, Maya de Souza and Adrian Oliver, were elected and were the first Green Party councillors in Camden, Camden was the fourth to last council to drop out of the campaign, doing so in the early hours of 6 June. Borough councillors are elected every four years, between 2006 and 2010 Labour lost two seats to the Liberal Democrats through by-elections, in Kentish Town and Haverstock wards. A Labour Councillor in Haverstock ward also defected to the Liberal Democrats in February 2009, at the local elections on 6 May 2010 the Labour party regained full control of Camden council. The new council is made up of 30 Labour,13 Liberal Democrats,10 Conservatives, at the Councils AGM, Labours Nasim Ali took office as Camdens first leader from the Bengali community. Labour Councillor Jonathan Simpson was elected the Mayor of the Borough, the organisations staff are led by the Chief Executive who is currently Mike Cooke. Each directorate is divided into a number of divisions headed by an assistant director and they in turn are divided into groups which are themselves divided into services. This is a model to most local government in London. Pancras in the south, represented by Labours Keir Starmer, in 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise throughout the 19th century as the district became built up
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Adelaide Nature Reserve
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Adelaide Local Nature Reserve is in North West London, in the area of Chalk Farm, Primrose Hill, Belsize Park and Swiss Cottage. It is managed by a volunteer group, the Adelaide Nature Reserve Association. The site is a Local Nature Reserve and Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, the site has been a nature reserve since 1984 but for hundreds of years had been a hay meadow area which provided food for London’s horses. A railway was built through the area in the 19th century, when completed in 1837 this was one of the engineering wonders of the world. In the 20th century, up until world war two, it was covered with domestic gardens, there was a tree nursery here at one time. The reserve was co-founded by Ursula Granville and there is a plaque to commemorate her, the land is owned by Network Rail, who lease it to the London Borough of Camden for use as a nature reserve. The site has been managed as a reserve since 1985. However, towards the close of 2011, the site has been threatened by an adjacent building project proposal, the reserve is dominated by a south facing meadow with some adjacent areas of woodland. There are two ponds one of which has a dipping platform, a circular path runs around the site. An mural, which includes illustrations of site wildlife, overlooks the reserve, due to the steep sloping nature of the site, there is no wheelchair access as of 2012. The entrance to the site is on Adelaide Road, east of Primrose Hill Road, there are events held on the last Sunday of the month from 11am – 3pm and at other times by arrangement. Activities have included bird and plant surveying, nature trails, wildlife arts and crafts, badge making, nature quizzes and games, volunteers from Green Gym, University College London, Interact and other groups have all worked here. An insect survey found a variety of unusual insects, including rare solitary wasps. The site has a variety of grasshoppers and crickets. The most notable find was a species of chafer beetle last seen in Britain in the 1950s in Cheshire. Lesser stag beetles are common and volunteers are encouraging the Great stag beetle by building loggeries, Site volunteers leave logs in place to provide habitats for insects and fungi. A fine insect house has been built to provide homes for insects such as Ladybirds. There are also Bee nesting boxes, amongst moths Narrow-bordered Beehawk moth and Burnet moth have been recorded
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Belsize Wood
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Belsize Wood is a 0.7 hectare Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade II, in Belsize Park in the London Borough of Camden. The two halves are separated by a footpath between Lawn Road and Aspern Grove. The site is owned and managed by Camden Council, a railway tunnel runs under the site, built by the Midland Railway Company, which owned the site in the 1860s, and there is a railway ventilation shaft in the north west corner. From 1948 British Railways leased the land for various uses, including tennis courts, in 1971 Camden Council acquired the land, and in the 1980s built the Russell Nurseries housing estate on the western part, leaving the eastern part undeveloped to become the nature reserve. The modernist Isokon Building is adjacent to the site in Lawn Road, the site is deeply shaded and has a rich variety of species, especially of insects. The understorey is dominated hawthorn and elder, and the most common trees are ash, sycamore. Ground level plants include butchers-broom, enchanters-nightshade and nettles, a number of common birds nest there
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Camley Street Natural Park
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Camley Street Natural Park is an urban nature reserve in Kings Cross in central London and within the London Borough of Camden. It is a nature reserve. It is run by the London Wildlife Trust, a visitors centre caters for casual visitors and school parties, though tours must be booked. In shape the park is a strip of land bounded by the canal, Camley Street. The entrance is through a gate on Camley Street. Admission to the park is free and its opening hours and days change with the funding it is able to win. A variety of habitats co-exist in the parks small environs, including wetlands, meadow and woodland, which attract insects, amphibians, birds, over 300 higher plants have been found at the site, highlights include common broomrape, hairy buttercup and common spotted orchid. Meadow herbs include white clover and poppy, woodland trees include hazel, rowan, hawthorn and silver birch. Hazel and willow are coppiced regularly, woodland herbs include lesser celandine and wild violet. Marshland herbs include marsh marigold, greater pond sedge, pendulous sedge, reed, bogbean, marsh-nesting birds include reed bunting, moorhen, coot and reed warbler. Until the 17th century the area was in the Middlesex woodlands, in the 18th century it came under industrial use, and the Regents Canal was built along the eastern edge of the former country estate. In the 19th century the area was used for coal chutes, first for the canal, Camley Street was originally known as Cambridge Street, until renamed by the LCC. The site became derelict by the 1970s, in 1984, Camden Borough Council assigned the nascent London Wildlife Trust to manage the site. In 2008, Kings Cross Central started to plan a major development to the east and south of the park, as of March 2016, the pedestrian bridge has not been built. Visitors from far and wide come to learn from this example, Camden parks and open spaces London Wildlife Trust - Camley Street Natural Park
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Westbere Copse
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Westbere Copse is an 8 hectare Local Nature Reserve and Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, in West Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden. It is located at the corner of Westbere Road and Minster Road, next railway land where the Jubilee, the site is owned by Network Rail and is leased to Camden Council for use as a nature reserve. The nature reserve is composed of Westbere Copse itself, sections of railside, there is no access to the railway land or the orchard. This is only open at weekends, the site is mainly woodland, with the main trees being sycamore oak, aspen and ash. Conservation work is carried out the Westbere Copse Association
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London Borough of Croydon
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The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in south London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of 87 km2 and is the largest London borough by population and it is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name. Croydon is mentioned in Domesday Book, and from a market town has expanded into one of the most populous areas on the fringe of London. Croydon is the centre of the borough. The borough is now one of Londons leading business, financial and cultural centres, and its influence in entertainment, the economic strength of Croydon dates back mainly to Croydon Airport which was a major factor in the development of Croydon as a business centre. Once Londons main airport for all flights to and from the capital. It is now a Grade II listed building and tourist attraction, Croydon Council and its predecessor Croydon Corporation unsuccessfully applied for city status in 1954,2000,2002 and 2012. Croydon is mostly urban, though there are suburban and rural uplands in the south. Since 2003 Croydon has been certified as a Fairtrade borough by the Fairtrade Foundation and it was the first London Borough to have Fairtrade status which is awarded on certain criteria. The area is one of the hearts of culture in London, institutions such as the major arts and entertainment centre Fairfield Halls add to the vibrancy of the borough. However, its famous fringe theatre the Warehouse Theatre was put under administration in 2012 when the council withdrew its funding, the Croydon Clocktower was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 as an arts venue featuring a library, the independent David Lean Cinema and museum. From 2000 to 2010, Croydon staged a summer festival celebrating the areas black and Indian cultural diversity. An internet radio station, Croydon Radio, is run by people for the area. The borough is home to its own local TV station, Croydon TV. Premier League football club Crystal Palace F. C. play at Selhurst Park in South Norwood, for the history of the original town see History of Croydon The London Borough of Croydon was formed in 1965 from the Coulsdon and Purley Urban District and the County Borough of Croydon. The name Croydon comes from Crogdene or Croindone, named by the Saxons in the 8th century when they settled here, although the area had been inhabited since prehistoric times. It is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon croeas deanas, meaning the valley of the crocuses, indicating that, like Saffron Walden in Essex, by the time of the Norman invasion Croydon had a church, a mill and around 365 inhabitants as recorded in the Domesday Book
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Bramley Bank
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Bramley Bank is a 10.3 hectare local nature reserve in Upper Shirley in the London Borough of Croydon. It is owned by Croydon Council and managed by the London Wildlife Trust, the site has acid grassland, woodland and a pond. Flowers include common violets and enchanters nightshade, and there are displays of bluebells in the spring, the woodland is mainly oak, ash and sycamore. The margin of the pond has yellow flag and flote grass, Wildlife includes nutchatches, song thrushes, purple hairstreak butterflies, yellow meadow ants and pipistrelle bats. There is access from Riesco Drive and Broadcombe
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Foxley Wood, Purley
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Foxley Wood is an 11.36 hectare Local Nature Reserve and Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade 1, in Purley in the London Borough of Croydon. It is owned and managed by Croydon Council, the site was purchased by Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council under the Green Belt Act in the 1930s. Some of the woodland on the site is ancient, and there are areas of chalk grassland. The wood is principally oak and ash, with some sycamore, there is an understorey of hazel. Flora include dogs mercury, wood millet, wood melick, the site also has a wide variety of insects, including grasshoppers and butterlies. Forty-five species of birds have been recorded, and there are also badgers, there is access from Burwood Avenue, Northwood Avenue, Woodland Way and Higher Drive
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Hutchinson's Bank
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Hutchinsons Bank is 21.8 hectare Local Nature Reserve and Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation in New Addington in the London Borough of Croydon. It is owned by Croydon Council and managed by the London Wildlife Trust, the site is a sloping dry chalk bank, which has a wide variety of plants, butterflies and birds. Plants include the pyramidal and man orchids, and the greater yellow-rattle, over 100 species of moth and 36 of butterfly have been recorded. It also has scrub with wild privet, dogwood and the wayfaring tree, sheep graze on the grassland as part of the Surrey Downs Project. There is access from Featherbed Lane and Farleigh Dean Crescent
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Selsdon Wood
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Selsdon Wood is a woodland area located in the London Borough of Croydon. The park is owned by the National Trust but managed by the London Borough of Croydon and it is a Local Nature Reserve. The wood has a Friends group - the Friends of Selsdon Wood - who have their own website, sir Julian Huxley was one of the main backers of the Selsdon Wood Nature Reserve. Main entrance to the park is off Old Farleigh Road, served by bus stop Forestdale, the London Loop path runs through the park. The park is accessible at all times. Selsdon Wood facilities include, Car park at Old Farleigh Road entrance Pond Public footpaths — including Section 4 of the London LOOP, West Wickham Common to Hamsey Green section
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South Norwood Country Park
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South Norwood Country Park is a park in South Norwood, close to Elmers End station, mainly in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a 47 hectare green space which opened in 1989, the park is a mix of countryside and parkland, and land formerly used for sewage farms serving the growing London population. Croydon Sports Arena, the home of Croydon F. C. is on the edge of the park. There is also a car park and visitor centre, and a pond similar to the one at South Norwood Lake. On an earlier map of Peter Burrell, the land is indicated as adjoining Sturts Land and is given the name Lame Oates which is obviously a phonetic corruption of La Motes. Deeds of 1467 relate to a transaction at Leweland between Richard at Cherte and Stephan and John Fabian of London. He was one of the Kings itinerant judges, known to be active as such between the years 1295-1318, from about 1862 the land was acquired by Croydon Corporation for use as a sewage farm. This was largely unsuccessful because of the heavy London Clay subsoil that makes up the majority of the site, a series of concrete channels were constructed to direct the sewage over the numerous lagoons but these were a failure as the lagoons would remain flooded for months without draining away. In the 1920s a new method for the treatment of sewage had to be found so the farm was largely abandoned and this was shut down in 1962 and the area was left mostly undisturbed until the creation of the Country Park in 1988–99. It is still referred to as the Sewage Farm by the older local residents, however. The manager of the farm was Albert David Prior, the years leading up to World War II brought about even more dramatic changes, with the armed forces using the area for training. During the war, the became an A. R. P. Centre and the defence unit was also based here until the 1950s. During the blitz, when hundreds of buildings were destroyed in Croydon and surrounding areas and this rubble eventually mounted up to form what is now the large hill behind the sports arena today. It is the viewpoint in the park and from the top of it you can see the London Docklands, Shirley Hills, Crystal Palace, Croydon. It is the terminus of a cycling route from Greenwich. The playground at South Norwood Country Park has been rebuilt since it was shut down in 2006 due to health, during 2008 Croydon Council constructed a lottery-funded playground in a large space which was formerly part of the pitch and putt course. The equipment is intended for children aged 4 to 14, with a wide range of different habitats, the country park is a haven for wildlife and an important site for nature conservation
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London Borough of Ealing
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The London Borough of Ealing /ˈiːlɪŋ/ is a London Borough in west London, England, and forms part of Outer London. It is the 3rd largest London Borough in population, and 11th largest in size, covering part of west London and its administrative centre is Ealing Broadway. Other major centres include Acton, Greenford and Southall, the local authority is Ealing London Borough Council. The London borough was formed in 1965 by the merging the area of the Municipal Borough of Ealing, the Municipal Borough of Southall and the Municipal Borough of Acton. Along with Brentford, the London Borough of Ealing is the setting for much of the action in Robert Rankins series of novels, The Brentford Trilogy. Ealing is also the setting for The Sarah Jane Adventures. Within the borough are two garden suburbs, Brentham Garden Suburb and Bedford Park,330 hectares within the borough are designated as part of the Metropolitan Green Belt. Ealing Central and Acton Ealing North Ealing Southall There are four stations within the London Borough of Ealing. Southall and Northolt have similar-sized station grounds and both house two pumping appliances, Southall attended some 700 incidents more than their Northolt counterparts in 2006/07. Ealing, with two pumping appliances, and Acton, one pump and two fire investigation units, are the other two appliances in the area, interestingly, the ward of Northfield had over forty malicious calls made from it, more than twice as any other ward within Ealing. Ealing has a total of 91 state-run schools and nurseries, There are 13 high schools under the domain of the local education authority,12 of which are either comprehensive, foundation or voluntary-aided, and one city academy. The King Fahd Academy is an independent Saudi funded school within the borough, the Japanese School in London is a Japanese international school in Acton. The borough of Ealing is ethnically diverse, in 2011, 49% gave their ethnicity as white, 30% as Asian, 15% as Black and 4. 5% as of mixed or multiple ethnicity, the remander identifying as Arab or other ethnicity. The main religions of the population in 2011 were Christianity, Islam and Sikhism, 15% stated they had no religion. The borough has a long-standing Irish community which is visible through the number of established Irish pubs in the borough. Country flags for example can be flown on the outside or hung inside of various pubs in the area. St Benedicts School has also had a long affiliation with the Irish community in Ealing. Many Irish members of the Ealing borough attend Ealing Abbey which is linked to St Benedicts School, the Irish population is mostly concentrated within Hanwell
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Blondin Park
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Blondin Park is an 8. 5-hectare public park in Northfields in the London Borough of Ealing. It has allotments area and sports pitches and it is owned by Ealing Council and managed by the Council together with the Friends of Blondin Park. An area of 2.3 ha in the south-west corner is a Local Nature Reserve, the site was acquired by the Municipal Borough of Ealing in 1928 and opened as a public park called Northfields Recreation Ground. In 1957 it was renamed Blondin Park after Charles Blondin, who lived locally in Niagara House, the Blondin Nature Area was created in 1997. The nature reserve has a variety of habitats, including a wildflower meadow and a pond, there is access from Boston Manor Road
