Worton

Warren Farm Nature Reserve

Ealing · 2.5 miles

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

Southall Railway Centre

Southall · 3.1 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.

Ealing Common

North Ealing · 3.7 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.

Litten Local Nature Reserve

Greenford · 4.3 miles

Litten Nature Reserve is 1 hectare a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade II, and Local Nature Reserve in Greenford in the London Borough of Ealing. It is owned and managed by Ealing Council.

Perivale Wood Local Nature Reserve

Perivale · 5 miles

An 11.6-hectare woodland in the Perivale area of the London Borough of Ealing offers a mix of mature oak trees, pasture, damp scrub, three ponds and two streams. The reserve is recognised as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation and forms part of the local natural heritage. Managed by the Selborne Society, the site has been a bird sanctuary since the early twentieth century and was formally designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1974. The wood’s ecological value is reflected in its diverse flora and fauna. Among the plants, adders-tongue fern is recorded, while surveys have listed 568 moth species, 115 bird species and 17 mammal species. The Selborne Society, founded in 1885 to honour naturalist Gilbert White, took a lease on the land in 1914 and purchased it outright in 1923, continuing its stewardship to the present day. Public access is limited: the entrance on Sunley Gardens is locked and opens only on the reserve’s open day, a Sunday in April. No further facilities or admission charges are mentioned, and the site remains primarily a conservation area rather than a visitor attraction.

Wormwood Scrubs

Old Oak Common · 6.2 miles

Covering 67 hectares, this open space in Old Oak Common lies in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and is the borough’s largest park. Known locally as The Scrubs, it forms one of the biggest commons in London. The area is divided by Scrubs Lane and the West London line railway, with the eastern section referred to as Little Wormwood Scrubs. The park has been publicly accessible since the Wormwood Scrubs Act of 1879, which secured its use for recreation while allowing occasional military training. Within the grounds are a range of sports facilities, including the Linford Christie Stadium, numerous football pitches and a pony centre. The southern edge abuts two notable institutions: HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs, constructed between 1875 and 1891, and the Hammersmith Hospital campus, which incorporates the relocated Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital. Historical uses have been diverse – from cavalry exercises leased to the War Office in 1812, to an airship landing ground in 1910 and a naval air station during the First World War. The park also formed part of the 1908 Olympic marathon route. Management is undertaken by the Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust, which funds maintenance through leases of the hospital car park, rental of sports fields, advertising billboards and two public car parks. Access is via the surrounding road network and public transport routes that serve Old Oak Common; entry to the park is free and open to all.