Description
The Grove Nature Reserve was once the garden of The Grove, a large house on the edge of Hillingdon Village. Its central feature is a sequence of ponds, two small and one large, which run through the reserve. The site was reduced in size in the 1980s when housing development encroached to the north. Woodland contains oak, ash and sycamore with some pine and larch as remnants of the garden planting. It is managed by the London Wildlife Trust.
Practical Information
| Site location | Robinhood Grove, off Royal Lane/Green Lane |
|---|---|
| Postcode | UB8 |
| What3Words | ///donor.stable.help |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Hillingdon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Uxbridge (Piccadilly, Metropolitan) then bus/walk. Bus: U4, U7 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ067824 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 2.2 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hillingdon |
| Site Management | Managed by London Wildlife Trust as Nature Reserve |
| 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 | Hillingdon |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance II |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
Hillingdon and Uxbridge Cemetery opened in 1856, a notably early municipal cemetery. At the main entrance on Hillingdon Hill is the original gatehouse with its entrance arch. The cemetery has a pair of Early English style chapels, Church of England and Non-conformist, which were designed by Benjamin Ferrey. The cemetery has fine trees, including a good spread of ornamental conifers, notably Wellingtonias, cypresses, cedars and araucaria. A mature Araucaria is beyond the wall to the south, and also a fine old oak pollard from the pre-cemetery landscape.
Hillingdon was a large medieval parish with the church of St John the Baptist at the centre of the village. There are two areas of the churchyard divided by a path, that around the church having many fine tombs and a number of good trees, including cedar, with an avenue of lime along one path. In the other area of the burial ground is the war memorial.
In 1962, c.60.75 hectares of former agricultural land was acquired as the site for the new Brunel University when the College of Advanced Technology in Acton, established in 1957, was upgraded and expanded. It was named after Isambard Brunel whose Great Western Railway passed through Acton. The campus was landscaped with lawns, shrubberies and a number of formal areas. New green spaces have been created as a result of a major programme of campus improvement works since 2005.