Best-one

Southall Railway Centre

Southall · 8.7 miles

Located beside Southall railway station and the Grand Union Canal, the Southall Railway Centre occupies a historic railway site in west London. Although the area is recognised as a landmark, it is not open to the public and therefore offers no visitor facilities or admission arrangements. The location has served railway purposes since 1859, initially as a Great Western Railway shed (code SHL) that was rebuilt as a six-road facility in 1884. After demolition in 1953, British Railways erected a modern steam shed (code 81C), which remained the last London steam depot on the Western Region until its closure to steam in December 1965. Subsequent use included a decade of DMU maintenance, followed by a period from 1993 to 1998 when the site functioned as a base for the Heathrow Express electrification programme. Today the centre is divided between three independent operators. Locomotive Services, owned by Jeremy Hosking, leases Roads 1 and 2 – the tracks closest to the main line – for the upkeep and operation of several preserved locomotives, including those of the Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust. West Coast Railways also uses the site as an operational base for its mainline-registered steam engines. The Great Western Railway Preservation Group formerly occupied part of the site, but its lease ended with liquidation in September 2021. An assortment of goods and passenger rolling stock remains on site, though most locomotives have been transferred to other heritage railways.

Warren Farm Nature Reserve

Ealing · 8.7 miles

Reccognised as a local nature reserve by Brent River and canal society or Brent River Parks. A species diverse meadow rewilded.

Ealing Common

North Ealing · 11 miles

A sizeable open space of roughly 47 acres (19 hectares) lies in the west London district of Ealing, bounded on the east by Gunnersbury Avenue (A406) and on the north by the Uxbridge Road. The area stretches west towards the Ealing town centre, with the smaller extension beyond Gunnersbury Avenue reaching Leopold Road, while Elm Avenue marks part of the southern edge. The common is designated as common land under the 1866 Metropolitan Commons Act, meaning it is held for public use without an admission charge. The landscape is characterised by avenues of horse-chestnut trees planted in the late Victorian period after the Ealing Local Board acquired the land. An English oak dominates the northern part, and London plane trees line the perimeter. In the south-west corner, the enclosed Warwick Dene park offers rose beds centred within a more intimate setting. Historical records note a cricket match on the common in August 1733 between local teams and the London Cricket Club, reflecting its long-standing role as a recreational venue. The surrounding streets form a conservation area, and the name “Earing Common” is also used informally for the neighbourhood served by Ealing Common station. Access is straightforward from the surrounding road network, with pedestrian routes linking the common to nearby residential districts and the broader Ealing borough.

Manor Farm

Ruislip · 12 miles

Set within the Ruislip Village Conservation Area, Manor Farm occupies 22 acres of parkland on the outskirts of Ruislip, Greater London. The site retains a medieval farm complex, including a 13th-century Great Barn built of English oak and a 16th-century farmhouse constructed from locally produced brick, tile and timber. Remnants of a Norman-era motte-and-bailey castle survive as part of a moat and earth bank, the layout of which suggests an oval enclosure once supporting a wooden stronghold. Archaeological evidence places the earliest work on the ground to the 9th century, while later phases saw the manor pass to King’s College, Cambridge in the 15th century and the farm operate commercially until 1933. The London Borough of Hillingdon now manages the area as a community resource, and the Great Barn and surrounding grounds host regular events. Restoration work funded by the National Lottery during 2007–2008 reinforced the heritage status of the farm, and the site remains open as a public park. Access is via the surrounding streets of Ruislip, with the park forming part of the local green network and offering open space, historic structures and the scheduled-monument moat for visitors to explore.

Dews Farm Sand Pits

South Harefield · 12 miles

Dews Farm Sand Pits is a 1.2-hectare (3.0-acre) nature reserve near Harefield in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It is managed by the London Wildlife Trust, and is a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade I.

Ealing Green

Drayton Green · 11 miles