Leavesden

Heath Robinson Museum

Pinner Green · 6.8 miles

Museum dedicated to showcasing the work of the world-renowned artist, illustrator, humorist and social commentator William Heath Robinson

Harrow Museum

Harrow (N, W and S) · 7.5 miles

The Headstone Museum, also known as Harrow Museum, occupies the historic grounds of Headstone Manor within Headstone Manor Park on the edge of Harrow. The site comprises four listed structures that together illustrate the development of the area from Roman activity through medieval and later periods. Central to the complex is Headstone Manor, a timber-framed house dating from around 1310 and recognised as the earliest surviving building of its type in Middlesex. The manor’s fabric includes 14th-, 17th- and 18th-century work, and it is surrounded by a water-filled moat that remains the only surviving example of its kind in the county. Adjacent are the Great Barn, a 1506 oak-frame barn now Grade II* and converted for museum use, the Small Barn – a 14th-century structure restored after fire damage and reopened in 2017 with archaeological displays – and the Granary, a late-18th-century cattle-feed store relocated from Pinner Park Farm in 1991. Established in 1986, the museum presents the story of Harrow through collections, exhibitions and the historic buildings themselves. The manor passed from the Archbishops of Canterbury to Henry VIII in 1546, entered private hands for almost four centuries, and was acquired by Hendon Rural District Council in 1925 before becoming the borough’s museum. Restoration work on the manor began in autumn 2004, while the Great Barn received a functional conversion in the 1970s and a further programme of restoration started in 2014. The museum is accessed via Harrow and forms part of a scheduled monument, offering visitors insight into the locality’s long-standing heritage.

Manor Farm

Ruislip · 8.1 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 · 8.1 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.

Northmoor Hill Wood Local Nature Reserve

Denham Garden Village · 8.1 miles

Northmoor Hill Wood is an 8.7 hectares Local Nature Reserve in Denham in Buckinghamshire. It is also of geological interest.

Hadley Green

Hadley · 9.3 miles

Spanning roughly ten hectares, Hadley Green lies on the historic Great North Road, between Hadley Green Road and Fold Lane, in the London Borough of Barnet. The area is recognised as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, and its open-space character reflects its long use as a village common. Public access is unrestricted and entry is free, with the nearest settlement being the town of Hadley. The reserve consists mainly of acid grassland dotted with trees and several ponds, creating a mosaic of habitats that support regionally rare plant species. The water bodies host a notable invertebrate community, including eleven recorded species of dragonflies and damselflies. A footpath forming part of the London Loop long-distance walk traverses the site, linking it to the adjoining King George’s Fields and offering walkers a quiet stretch of countryside within the urban area. Historically, the green is associated with the Battle of Barnet in 1471, a decisive engagement of the Wars of the Roses, and it remained common grazing land for local villagers until the twentieth century. In 1818 the land was formally secured for the people of Hadley parish as public open space, preserving its natural and historic value for contemporary visitors.