Description
Although Bedfont Lakes Country Park opened as a new park in 1995, laid out on a former contaminated landfill site, in the 1890s the area was part of a large orchard that supplied Covent Garden. Part of the area was also used for gravel extraction from the 1860s until the 1950s. An oak tree was planted on 5 November 1996 near Motte Lake to the north of the park to commemorate it being handed over to LB Hounslow by Hanover Property Unit Trust and Rutland Management Ltd.
Practical Information
| Site location | Bedfont Road, Clockhouse Lane |
|---|---|
| Postcode | TW14 8QA |
| What3Words | ///laptop.scar.usage |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Hounslow |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 8am - dusk (closed Xmas Day) |
| Facilities | Car park, toilets, fishing, nature reserve, trim trail, information centre, children's playground, dog exercise area |
| Events | Nature trail; regular events including country fair |
| Public Transport | Rail: Ashford, Feltham then bus. Tube: Hatton Cross, Heathrow Terminal 4 (Piccadilly) then bus. Bus H26, 116 |
| Research Updated | 1 March 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The land here was once owned by the Duke of St Albans that was leased out for farming. In 1780 William Sherborn of Bedfont purchased Fawn's Manor Farm, and it was his grandson, also William, who planted the orchard here in c.1897 on what is now the south side of the country park. This was one of a number of orchards and local farms in the area that supplied London with produce up until the 1920s, and a few old apple and pear trees still survive in the country park. Gravel extraction took place here from the mid 1860s, with a small quarry located at what is today the north end of North Lake, adjacent to Clockhouse Lane; Finger Island next to Black Hide formed the southern boundary. From the 1930s the site was worked for sand and gravel extraction for new housing and road building but this ceased in the 1950s and it was then used as a landfill site for domestic and industrial refuse. At one time described as the largest pile of rubbish in Europe, it ceased to be used in 1973, but polluted lakes, derelict buildings and machinery remained on the land. In 1988 Hounslow Council granted planning permission for the surrounding industrial developments and negotiated with the developers for the creation of a country park.
Bedfont Lakes Country Park has been developed as a water-focused nature reserve, the lakes created from the former waste tip, and it has grassland and woodland, with paths throughout. It gained Nature Reserve status in 2000 and has won a number of national and regional awards including a Millennium Marque and the London in Bloom Wildflower and Environment Trophy.
Bedfont Lakes Country Park has been developed as a water-focused nature reserve, the lakes created from the former waste tip, and it has grassland and woodland, with paths throughout. It gained Nature Reserve status in 2000 and has won a number of national and regional awards including a Millennium Marque and the London in Bloom Wildflower and Environment Trophy.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ085729 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 72.5 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hounslow |
| Site Management | John Laing Integrated Services; Friends of Bedfont Lakes |
| Dates | 1995 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Hounslow |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Metropolitan Importance (part) |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Feltham and Brentford SEB |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
St Mary's Burial Ground was opened at a service on 6 May 1876, when more space was needed for the parish burials of St Mary's East Bedfont. The land was previously in agricultural use, known as Little Field. In 1935 adjacent land was conveyed to the local Burial Board for Bedfont Cemetery, which was consecrated in July 1941. St Mary's Burial Ground is much overgrown and wooded with mown paths cutting through the undergrowth, with a few tombs visible. The lych-gate was damaged in 1989 and replaced in 1990/2. The cemetery has tarmac paths and an avenue of lime trees along the path, with hawthorn hedging, some ornamental trees and a small brick shelter. It adjoins Bedfont Lakes Country Park.
Bedfont was a small isolated hamlet dating back to medieval times, surrounded by Hounslow Heath. Bedfont Green fronts the medieval church of St Mary the Virgin and forms the setting of Burlington House, to the south of which there was once a pond. It was formerly more tree-covered, particularly with horse chestnuts but many were lost in the hurricanes of 1987. Fairgrounds used to be held here, particularly during Ascot Week as the route to the racetrack was through the village.
Bedfont is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086 and St Mary's church dates from the C12th, with various later extensions to the building. Overlooking Bedfont Green, the church's small churchyard has a low brick wall at the front, with a higher wall to the rear. Either side of the path to the church door are two ancient yew trees, famous for their peacock topiary. They were originally created in 1704 and for centuries were the pride of the village, apparently created to shame two haughty spinsters of the parish. The practice of churchyard topiary, popular in the C18th, later lapsed, but the peacocks were later restored in 1990.