Park of the week

30. Newton Park West

This park is in Rayners Lane, Harrow. It was about a half hour drive from God’s Own Mill Hill, but I’m glad we visited because of the wildlife. It’s a large, open space with bordered with birch, hawthorn, cherry and willow and other trees. One side of the park borders a stream, leading to the River Roxbourne. This flows into the River Crane (I hadn’t heard of it), which eventually joins the Thames at Isleworth. It’s a site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation.

We walked along a path towards the playground, with clover growing along either side. Would I find a four-leafed one? After looking for about ten seconds, I did. There is a playground and outdoor gym (but no toilets or café).

Among the trees growing around the edge are what I now know to be sweet chestnuts, after discussing ‘very spiky conkers’ with my husband (aka Mother Nature’s Son, which makes me Mother Nature’s daughter in law) when we got home. We do have a chestnut roaster for the fire so perhaps I should have picked some up, but they were too sharp, and I didn’t have anywhere to put them (my pockets were full of clover), so I decided to leave them for the squirrels.

The stream is part of a formed wetland area with ponds planted with willows alongside. As we walked along it, we noticed a large flock of ducks on the bank feeding on birdseed. I wished we’d brought some and will add a little pack to the fish food in my car’s glove box. As we came closer, a glossy brown four-legged creature darted out too closely to photograph, towards the stream where it disappeared with splash. Jack thought it was a mouse. I thought it was a rat at first, but the glimpse I caught of its flatter face and short furry tail told me it was a water vole – Ratty from Wind in the Willows. My husband looked at a photo of the stream and reckoned it was the sort of habitat voles like. They are quite rare, so it made the trip worthwhile for me.

There is no car park but parking on nearby streets is fairly easy. There are entrances from Alexandra Avenue, Drake Road, Malvern Avenue and Ravenswood Crescent.

Judith Field

Newton Park West, Ravenswood Crescent, Harrow HA2 9JL