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The Great Britain Guide

Wildlife reserves · London

Crane Park Island

Free admission

Crane Park Island — island in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, UK.

Crane Park Island, wildlife reserves in London

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
2 h–4 h
Best time of year
Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
Nearest railway station
Whitton · 1.6 km
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

About

Crane Park Island is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom. Wikidata describes it as: "island in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.4436°, -0.3789°.

Photo gallery

From the Wikipedia article

Crane Park Island is a Local Nature Reserve in Twickenham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is also part of The Crane Corridor Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. The site is an island in the River Crane, which is owned by Richmond upon Thames London Borough Council and managed by the London Wildlife Trust. The entrance is next to the Shot Tower in Crane Park.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The area was formerly the site of Hounslow Gunpowder Works, and the island was created to contain a mill pool to drive mill machinery. Some remains of it can still be seen, but the only major surviving structure is the Shot Tower, built in 1828. There were frequent explosions, and the Shot Tower was probably built as a watch tower to warn workers of fire hazards. The Ogden Standard on 9 July 1915 reported that there was a huge explosion heard for 10 mi. An initial small explosion warned factory workers and they were able to flee before the larger explosion. Only 1 person was killed but flying debris wounded many. In 1927 the licence to manufacture gunpowder was withdrawn, and part of the…

Description

The island is heavily wooded, and also has a pond and areas of scrub and reedbeds. Mammals include the rare water vole, and other animals such as kingfishers, woodpeckers, frogs, damselflies and dragonflies are also found there.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.4436, -0.3789
District
Hounslow
Parish
Hounslow, unparished area
Postcode
TW13 5QR
Parliamentary constituency
Feltham and Heston
Nearest railway station
Whitton1.6 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Crane Park Island?
Crane Park Island is in London, United Kingdom (postcode TW13 5QR), in the parish of Hounslow, unparished area.
Is Crane Park Island free to visit?
Yes, Crane Park Island is free to enter.
How do I get to Crane Park Island?
The nearest railway station is Whitton, about 1.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode TW13 5QR.
Are dogs allowed at Crane Park Island?
Most wildlife reserves allow dogs on lead only, with restrictions during ground-nesting bird season (March-July). Check signage at the reserve.