Hampton Heath is a nature area located between Hampton Hill, Hampton North, Hanworth, Fulwell and West Twickenham. It is surrounds the David Lloyd Club, Hampton, and is part of a much larger (80ha) area designated as Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) and Site of Interest for Nature Conservation (SINC).
The Heath is part of David Lloyd's lease from Richmond Council, but is open to the public.
Hampton Heath has a rich mosaic of habitats:
- Neutral grassland
- Lowland acid grassland
- Bramble and gorse shrubland
- Mixed woodland and veteran oak trees
- Ponds and ditches
The site can become very dry in summer, but also waterlogged in winter, and was once part of Hounslow Heath - the haunt of notorious highwaymen.
As members of Richmond Biodiversity Partnership, Hampton Heath Friends record and manage these habitats, and are working to restore more of the characteristic plants of acid grassland and heath, and promote the wide range of suburban wildlife which lives there.
Active Travel:
Many of our volunteers walk or cycle in from local areas. There are pedestrian gates from Uxbridge Road, David Lloyd and Staines Road, and from the Twickenham (David Lloyd) Golf Course. Hampton Heath is located on the London Loop long distance footpath. Cycle parking is available at the David Lloyd Club.
By bus:
The 290 and 490 buses stop nearby, on Staines Road.
The 285 bus stops nearby, on Uxbridge Road.
By car:
Parking is outside David Lloyd's main car park - by the play area near David Lloyd's entrance. (Parking at the David Lloyd Club is reserved for Club members).
There is on-street parking on Burtons Road and other nearby streets.
Everyone! We welcome people of all ages, all abilities, all communities. If you are under 18 or have special needs you will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. If you have any questions about access, suitability, inclusivity, disabilities, or particular requirements, get in touch so we can see how best to meet your needs.
It varies! Depending on the time of year, the weather, and projects ongoing at the time. activities might include:
- Litter-picking
- Meadow management (cutting, raking, removing cuttings)
- Keeping paths clear
- Recording wildlife
- Controlling brambles
- Winter planting and summer watering
- Coppicing and pruning
- Creating refugia and habitat features
- Making seats and signs
- Night-time surveys for bats and insects
- Having a good chat and a free hot/cold drink afterwards
Volunteers do as much (or as little) as they wish, with no obligations, no commitment to return each week, and absolutely no pressure.
What to bring:
- Weather appropriate clothing
- Garden/work gloves
- Stout boots/footwear
- Sunscreen, water etc.
- Favourite secateurs or other (sensible) tools, if you wish!
We'll provide:
- Tools and safety equipment
- Rubbish bags and pickers
- Gloves if needed
Yes! All our regular activities are risk assessed and participants are fully insured.
No, but we're working on it! We work closely with Richmond Borough's ecology officers, and other members of the Richmond Biodiversity Partnership and local facilitators at "Habitats & Heritage" to make sure we are doing the right things at the right times.
We have a lot of experienced volunteers and collective knowledge, and usually have a number of ongoing projects - such as:
- The reintroduction of heathers, disease resistant elm trees and buckthorn
- Developing the habitats alongside our ponds
- Managing acid grassland habitats.
- Reinstating hedgerows
At some point, we'll write them all down.