Holiday apartment in Hillingdon – nature, trails and history

Hillingdon combines expansive landscapes, historic places and trails of varying lengths. Particularly notable is Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve: it is the largest continuous area of ancient, semi-natural woodland in Greater London. Ruislip Lido is located within this nature reserve. Ruislip Lido offers woodland trails and activities for families.

Nature

Ruislip Woods National Nature Reserve has accessible, signposted routes that can be walked in either direction at your own pace. At Ruislip Lido, the Woodlands Centre offers woodland walks for observing nature, family walks and craft activities. Ruislip Lido itself has woodland trails and activities for families. The H13 bus stops near Ruislip Lido and Ruislip Woods. Another special feature is Walk the Planets at Ruislip Lido: the route starts at the Sun and passes the planets in order from the centre outwards.

Culture

Cranford Country Park is a 144-acre landscape with woodland, meadows and wetlands. The park includes the medieval St Dunstan's Church and a restored 18th-century stable block. In Eastcote, Eastcote House Gardens has been at the heart of Eastcote for more than 500 years; the grounds include a 17th-century timber-framed barn.

Manor Farm in Ruislip covers 22 acres and includes historic buildings, archaeological remains and landscape features. An audio tour there covers more than 1,000 years of history. Manor Farm is also home to a unique Grade II-listed event building, which is one of the oldest timber-framed buildings of its kind. At Hillingdon Museum, visitors can interactively explore a Victorian house with an original fireplace from the Council’s collection.

The Battle of Britain Bunker offers 60-minute guided tours with a 45-minute talk in the Operations Room. The tour descends 76 steps to the original 1940s bunker, followed by a visit to the exhibition. Harmondsworth Barn is accessible to wheelchair users.

Trails

Several routes pass through Hillingdon’s varied landscapes. The Willow Tree Wander is a 5-mile walking route along a short section of the Yeading Brook from North Harrow Station to Ickenham Station. The West Drayton walk is a 3.7-mile route through open and green spaces. Hillingdon is also crossed by a 20-mile route through the countryside from Cranford to Harefield.

The Celandine Walk is a 12-mile route along the River Pinn from Pinner to the Grand Union Canal at Cowley. The route information for the Celandine Walk marks public toilets and railway stations; along the way, signs and waymarkers bearing the Celandine symbol indicate the route. The River Pinn runs through Ruislip, Ickenham and Uxbridge and flows into the Frays at Yiewsley.

A Cycleway route is being established along the Grand Union Canal between Paddington and West Drayton. The towpath is to receive better surfaces, wider paths, improved access points and more helpful signage.

Other places: Northwood, Harmondsworth, Uxbridge, Ruislip, West Drayton, Harefield, Ickenham, Harlington.

For the higher-level travel overview: Greater London.