Description
Located just off Green Lanes, Railway Fields Local Nature Reserve was opened in 1986 after Haringey Council acquired the land in the early 1980s. The railway had opened here in 1868; until the 1950s the land was a railway goods yard used for coal and chalk, and fragments of coal can still be found on the nature reserve. In 1980 there was a community centre here, but this burnt down. The land was converted into a wildlife haven and environmental teaching centre for local schools, the pond was dug in 1987, and in 1990 was officially declared a statutory Local Nature Reserve.
Practical Information
| Site location | 381 Green Lanes |
|---|---|
| Postcode | N4 1ES |
| What3Words | ///gift.behave.cycle |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Haringey |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Mon-Wed 9am - 5pm (check Friends website for additional opening times) |
| Facilities | Toilets |
| Events | See Friends website for details of events |
| Public Transport | Train: Harringay Green Lanes. Tube: Manor House (Piccadilly). |
| Research Updated | 11 November 2021 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Railway Fields Local Nature Reserve has been recipient of the Green Flag Award since 2004, and has been protected with Fields in Trust as a Queen Elizabeth II Field since 2014. Railway Fields is renowned for its abundant flora including over 200 species of wildflowers. It is managed by environmental charity The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and the Friends of Railway Fields, which holds monthly conservation and family wildlife arts sessions, plus special events to encourage people to visit and learn more about the wildlife in their midst. In 2011 renowned botanist and former Haringey Conservation Manager David Bevan, who has long been associated with the nature reserve, became patron of the Friends group.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ317881 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Haringey |
| Site Management | The Conservation Volunteers (TCV); Friends of Railway Fields |
| Dates | 1986 |
| 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 | Haringey |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | 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
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Finsbury Park is situated on what used to be Brownswood, a sub-manor of the vast manor of Hornsey and part of the ancient Forest of Middlesex, used for hunting. The public park was created following The Finsbury Park Act of 1857 in order to provide a much-needed municipal park for local residents and was officially opened in 1869. Although much of the original design was lost over the years, many of the park's original features have now been restored including the re-landscaping of the American Gardens and Alexander McKenzie’s historical flower gardens.
Finsbury Park is situated on what used to be Brownswood, a sub-manor of the vast manor of Hornsey and part of the ancient Forest of Middlesex, used for hunting. The public park was created following The Finsbury Park Act of 1857 in order to provide a much-needed municipal park for local residents and was officially opened in 1869. Although much of the original design was lost over the years, many of the park's original features have now been restored including the re-landscaping of the American Gardens and Alexander McKenzie’s historical flower gardens.
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