Harrow Thames21 Partnership
We’re collaborating with Harrow Council to improve a number of the borough’s wonderful rivers. This includes significant restoration projects on the Yeading Brook in Headstone Manor Park, Edgeware Brook at Stanmore Marsh, the Kenton Brook at Queensbury Park and the Roxbourne at Newton Park West.
The aim is to rewild these rivers, for the benefit of people and wildlife as well as reducing the risk of flooding and pollution.
Headstone Manor Park
This park is a great asset to local and wider communities offering a unique wildlife and heritage attraction. Restoration work includes desilting of the historic 14th century moat, construction of a wetland system to reduce pollution in the moat and the Yeading Brook; and the daylighting (bringing above ground) of the brook as it runs through the park.
Vicky Duxbury is Thames21’s Outdoor Learning Officer based at the site. In partnership with Harrow Council and the Friends group, she is busy organising activities, events and training for local people so they can take ownership of the site into the future.
More information on our Headstone Manor Park work
Stanmore Marsh
The council undertook a restoration project on Stanmore Marsh from 2015 – 2017. The site has been beautifully re-naturalised, with the return of a natural stream and wetlands functioning as natural flood management. The works also included new paths and a new playground. During the project, Thames21 delivered community and schools engagement, reconnecting local people to their river and marsh. There were numerous educational sessions, clean-ups, and bulb-planting events. Thames21 trained local teachers to use the site and helped set up a Friends group to take care of the park.
Queensbury Park
In June 2014, Harrow Council restored the Kenton Brook through the Queensbury Recreation Ground, creating a sinuous meander through the park. Thames21 worked with local people to engage them in the area, and plant up the area with native wild flowers and reeds. This restored river corridor is an excellent habitat for wildlife and people to enjoy but also provides critical flood storage reducing flooding in nearby homes.
Education and Community
An education programme is being developed so that schools can study Headstone Manor Park and its habitats: its waterway, hedges, meadows and woodland and explore its fascinating heritage. The programme will link closely to the existing Museum sessions. Further details will be posted on the Headstone Manor page later this year and teachers can get in touch for more information.
Thames21 engaged local communities in habitat management and monitoring to accompany the restoration of Stanmore Marsh and Queensbury Park, and helped set up new Friends of groups to champion the sites. Please follow the links to the Stanmore Marsh and Queensbury Park webpages to find out more and how to volunteer. We worked with 12 local schools to use the restored spaces as outdoor classrooms as well developing the schools into River Friendly Schools.
The educational activities were kindly funded by the Thames Water Community Investment Fund.