Description
Ruislip Lido was formed in the 1930s from an artificial lake that was made in the early C19th to feed the Grand Junction Canal. The grounds around the Lido were laid out for the Canal Company in the 1930s, including a restaurant and dance floor, with a miniature railway provided from c.1945 and a beach offering swimming, pedalos and water-skiing. In the 1950s the Lido was purchased by the local council, who continue to maintain the site. For someone unfamiliar with the area, coming across the Lido with its beach and miniature railway is a complete surprise.
Practical Information
| Site location | access: Reservoir Road/Bury Street, Ruislip |
|---|---|
| Postcode | HA4 7TU |
| What3Words | ///punk.ants.monday |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Hillingdon |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted. For Ruislip Lido Railway timetable see www.ruisliplidorailway.org |
| Facilities | Children's splash pad, playground, toilets, changing rooms. Waters Edge pub, San Remo Lakeside café, parking. Narrow Gauge Railway |
| Public Transport | Tube: Ruislip (Metropolitan, Piccadilly) then bus. Bus: 331, H13 |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2016 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Ruislip Lido is within the wider area of Ruislip Woods (q.v.) and was formed from a lake originally made in 1811 as a feeder to the Grand Junction Canal, which inundated the hamlet of Park Hearne. The grounds around the Lido were laid out in 1934-36 by TH Mawson for the Grand Union Canal Company as a prototype for what would now be called a leisure centre, with the lake for boating and sailing, and a beach. The central building was designed by George W Smith with a restaurant and dance floor, later becoming the Water's Edge public house. The Lido was purchased by Ruislip-Northwood UDC in the early 1950s when the Grand Union Canal Company became part of British Waterways, at which time Ruislip Woods were preserved as a result of Green Belt legislation and designated a SSSI in 1950. The miniature railway that runs round the lake dates from c.1945 and had been established by the Grand Union Canal Company as part of the leisure facilities it provided. It initially ran along the eastern edge, now running as far as the pub on the west. An accident in the 1970s led to its closure by the Council but it was later re-opened by volunteers who now continue to run it, having formed the Ruislip Lido Railway Society in 1979. It is the only narrow gauge railway in London, and reputedly the longest 12 inch gauge railway in Britain.
The Ruislip Lido site has been used for filming over the years, including Cliff Richard's 'Summer Holiday' and the first 'Titanic' film. As part of the Hillingdon Improvement Programme, Hillingdon Council is undertaking a major enhancement project to improve access and facilities at Ruislip Lido. These will include an overflow car park, new toilets, a new catering facility with an adjacent Woodland/Education centre, investment in Ruislip Lido Railway. Other future proposals include an enclosed area for swimming accessible from the beach, an enclosed children's paddle boat area within the lake and facilities for angling.
The Ruislip Lido site has been used for filming over the years, including Cliff Richard's 'Summer Holiday' and the first 'Titanic' film. As part of the Hillingdon Improvement Programme, Hillingdon Council is undertaking a major enhancement project to improve access and facilities at Ruislip Lido. These will include an overflow car park, new toilets, a new catering facility with an adjacent Woodland/Education centre, investment in Ruislip Lido Railway. Other future proposals include an enclosed area for swimming accessible from the beach, an enclosed children's paddle boat area within the lake and facilities for angling.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ084889 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 28.5 |
| Site Ownership | LB Hillingdon |
| Site Management | Green Spaces Team; Friends of Ruislip Nature Reserve |
| Dates | 1811; 1934-36 |
| Designers | T H Mawson |
| 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 |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Large Regional Park |
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
Ruislip Woods contain a number of woods including Park Wood, Copse Wood, Mad Bess Wood, Bayhurst Woods and Poors Field, and the site is a substantial fragment of the formerly extensive Ruislip Park, at one time comparable to Enfield Chase. The woods were worked into the C20th but in 1932-36 the estate passed into public ownership. Ruislip Woods was preserved as part of the Green Belt and designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1950.
Breakspear Crematorium was established by Ruislip-Northwood and Uxbridge Crematorium Joint Committee in 1957, set in a landscape with woodlands to the north and quite open countryside to the west. The landscaping is extensive and has a complex layout with formal garden 'rooms' within conifer hedging in various configurations, rose gardens, a water garden with pond, waterfall and rockwork, as well as more natural areas and woodland. There are numerous trees throughout the cemetery, with a preponderance of evergreen varieties.
Northwood Cemetery opened in 1915 as a consequence of the growth of population in the Northwood area. The land was once part of the former Ruislip Common, by then in municipal ownership. It is a neat municipal cemetery with shrub beds and ornamental grasses either side of the entrance, which is through gates with brick piers. There are numerous conifers throughout with various avenues of ornamental and evergreen trees. At the entrance is a small rustic pavilion. The land slopes uphill with a belt of trees at the cemetery boundary.