Route 8 - Welsh Harp and surrounds

Route Highlights Ernest Trobridge Mansions: On Old Church Lane you will Brent Walks This route will see you explore the Welsh Harp Reservoir, see Old St Andrew’s Mansions as well as some local history in the streets full of Trobridge’s (1934-36), named after the church A series of healthy walks for all the family to enjoy architecture. in the graveyard opposite, and 1 Start at Park Station and exit by turning left onto several examples of Trobridge’s Bridge Road. Turn around and look at the stadium behind you. architecture as shown on the 2 Turn right onto Chalkhill Road and left onto Wellspring Crescent map. Route 8 - 3 and then walk up through to Forty Lane. Turn right onto Forty Lane 4, take your first left onto The Paddocks 5, then first right The Welsh Harp Reservoir: Welsh Harp and surrounds onto Greenhill 6. Turn right onto Salmon Street, take your first is 170 hectares of open water, left onto Queens Walk 7 and turn right onto Church Lane 8. marshes, trees and grassland Take the first exit from the roundabout onto Old Church Lane located less than 10 miles from the and then follow this road as it makes a sharp left 9. Continue to centre of London. It takes its name the end, turn left onto Birchen Grove and follow this as it makes a sharp right onto Welsh Harp 10. Take the wider footpath which from the public house, The Welsh is straight ahead with a gate, and follow this around the waters Harp, which stood there until the edge. Cross straight over Cool Oak Lane keeping on the path with early 1970s. Construction on the the water to your right and the fenced in bushes to your left. reservoir began in 1834, to ensure 11. Stay on the path as it heads away from the water until you sufficient water supply to feed the and come out into the clearing. Walk straight across the football fields, Regents Canal. Construction was not without incident, and after aiming for the hole in the fence you can see on the other side. a few deaths, a supervisor was employed for the project and a 12. Walk through the hole in the fence, out onto the road, and cottage near the dam was built. This cottage remains there today, then take a right into Silver Jubilee Park after about 100m 13. and the site has been designated a ‘Site of Special Scientific Head up through the park to the top, and then exit onto Interest’. Townsend Lane turning left, south 14. Follow this and take the The Environmental Education right fork Kingsmead Ave 15 at the end of the park, turn right Centre, is a 15 acre woodland site onto Wood Lane 16 and left onto Church Lane 17. You will reach with classrooms next to the Welsh the corner of Queens Walk and Church Lane where you first came out. From here, retrace your path back to the station. Turn right Harp Reservoir. Run by Brent Council onto Queens Walk, right into Salmon Street, left onto Greenhill and The Carey’s Foundation, it offers Way, left onto The Paddocks, right into Forty Lane, and left a range of hands on environmental through the path that leads to Wellspring Crescent. Turn right experiences to suit all ages. There onto Chalkhill Road and left onto Bridge Road at are ponds, bee hives, bird hides, tube station where this route ends. an artificial river and an adventure playground. Places of Interest/Heritage Silver Jubilee Park: was an existing public open space that was renamed for the Jubilee of King George V in 1935. There are : home of several playing fields and a children’s playground and good England Football, stands on the site views to Brent Reservoir in the east. which has been used for football since the 1880s. The ‘twin towers’ Facilities: The only facilities on this route are at the garden cafe stadium initially opened as the British in the Welsh Harp Education Centre and there are toilets in Empire Exhibition Stadium in 1923 Silver Jubilee Park. and had been built exclusively for the Empire Exhibition in 1924 after which it was due to be demolished. The electronic scoreboard and roof were added in 1963. The stadium was closed in 2000, Distance demolished in 2003 and re-opened in 2007, with its iconic arch 5.8 miles - 9.4 km - 13,500 Steps that can be seen from all over London. Time St Andrew’s Church: thought Fast - 1hr 30mins , Medium - 2hrs, Slow - 3hrs 10mins to be the oldest building in Brent, this Grade I listed building, likely Calories to be of Saxon origin, nestles in Fast - 630, Medium - 570, Slow - 550 a wooded grove to the south of its Victorian successor which Difficulty dominates the skyline. St Andrew’s Route through Welsh Harp is not suitable for prams Old Church retains the feel of an and wheelchair users. old country parish church. Inside are fine brasses and memorials to well-known local families dating from the 16th to 19th Start / end station centuries. There’s an old cemetery around the church which is Wembley Park Tube Station well worth exploring. Published by Brent Council 2014 14 T h e Route 8 - H y d e e a n L Welsh Harp

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