Gunnersbury Triangle credit James Cracknell

Gunnersbury Triangle

A green oasis created by intersecting railway lines, saved from development and managed for wildlife and people

Location

Bollo Lane

Chiswick

W4 5LN

Know before you go

Size

3 hectares

Parking information

There is neighbouring street parking available.

Access

The entrance is across the road from Chiswick Park Station (District line). Bus number 440 also stops by the entrance, while services 27, 237, 267, 391 and H91 stop on nearby Chiswick High Road.

There are gentle sloping footpaths made from natural material, as well as anti-slip decked walkways, but the terrain can be uneven in other places and because there are steep steps wheelchair users will not be able to access all areas of the reserve.

Dogs

Guide dogs only

Facilities

Toilets

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

April to November

About the reserve

This wet woodland nature reserve was saved from development in the early 1980s and then enhanced by the creation of ponds and acid grassland areas. Birds and small mammals take advantage of the sheltered birch and willow while walkways and footpaths help guide visitors around this wild oasis in Chiswick.

History of Gunnersbury Triangle

Abandoned allotments on railway land which had grown into woodland were at risk of development in 1981. But a campaign led by local people, supported by London Wildlife Trust and the (former) Greater London Council, ensured the area between the railway tracks was protected at a landmark planning inquiry in 1983. The land was given to Hounslow Council, and the Trust invited to manage it as a nature reserve. After work to make it more accessible for visitors, the site opened to the public in 1985. Both Hounslow and Ealing councils, on whose boundary the site sits, later designated the Triangle as a Local Nature Reserve.