Friends of Northcote Nature Reserve

On Sunday 3^rd December, a group of over 40 local residents put the finishing touches to the planting of 8 native British trees in a ceremony that marked the official start of the Northcote Nature Reserve project. 

The new trees - Common Hawthorn, Strawberry (Arbutus) and Whitebeam all have blossom and berries and have been chosen not only to be bird and bee-friendly, but to fit in with the scale of the proposed landscaping and other planting.   

With help from local All Souls Church, we acquired the trees free of charge through the Trees for Sacred Spaces project, which is supported by the Mayor of London.  

The Rev Richard Frank attended the ceremony and spoke of the significance of the project for All Souls and the Church. 

Friends of Northcote Nature Reserve Chair Vanessa Smith said the aim was to create a space that would be enjoyed by all in the local community, from dog walkers and children to elderly people, local schools and nurseries. 

The ceremony coincided with the launch of our free Membership, which enables everyone who supports the new Nature Reserve to stay in touch with developments as they happen and hear about events that will help to shape the new Nature Reserve.  

Photos of the Tree Planting

On Sunday 3rd December at 10.45am a tree planting ceremony celebrates the start of initial works on site at our Nature Reserve project. Join us from 10.45 to 11.15am and be part of this special day to mark the beginnings of what is to grow into a wonderful place for the community and nature to share for generations to come.

Kindly donated through a scheme supported by All Souls Church and being planted during National Tree Week, we will be planting Common Hawthorn, Whitebeam and Strawberry (Arbutus) trees. These have been chosen to be bee and bird friendly, providing both flowers and berries. They are all native British species and will contribute greatly to the appearance and enhanced habitats of the new Reserve. We will also be adding heritage fruit trees at a later date to reflect the site’s historical origins as part of a market garden and orchard. This will all be part of an extensive planting and landscaping scheme. 

All are welcome to attend and take the opportunity to find out more about the project and how to be part of it. We look forward to seeing you on the day. 

Recently  a CCTV camera has been installed by Hounslow council which is directed at the area outside of the furniture project and the entrance to the road leading to the reserve area, this is at the request of local residents and FoNNR. Recognised as a fly--tipping 'hot spot' it is hoped that this will act as a deterrent to a very anti social activity. 

A Village Green application to protect the site of the proposed Northcote Nature Reserve from development was made in October 2015. Applications are complex and take some time to reach their final stages. FoNNR are chasing this up and we will give you an update as soon as there is some news. The application is a joint project between Hounslow and Richmond residents, with both communities contributing Witness Statements testifying to the fact that the Pit Park has always been a local, open space enjoyed by all for recreation, blackberrying etc.  

We are pleased to say that over £100,000 of funding has been secured so far for the Northcote Nature Reserve project, from a variety of funding bids including Section 106 funding, which is finance from developers towards the costs of providing community and social infrastructure and is administered by local authorities.