A group of people walking across a field with tree canopy in the foreground

Photo credit: Pete Salter

Ickenham Marsh credit Mathew Frith

Chiffchaff

Photo credit: Giles Greenwood

Ickenham Marsh

An eclectic array of wetland plants dominate this riverside site, providing an opportunity to explore marsh, meadow and woodland habitats, and enjoy countryside views.

Location

Glebe Avenue

Ickenham

UB10 8PN

Know before you go

Size

8 hectares

Parking information

Parking available in surrounding streets

Grazing animals

Cattle, sheep

Access

Enter the site either from the north at Austin’s Lane, or the south from the tunnel running underneath the A40 dual carriageway. The Austin’s Lane entrance is a five-minute walk from Ickenham Station (Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines). The U10 bus service stops nearby on Glebe Avenue, while the U1 and U10 buses stop on High Road Ickenham, a 10-minute walk away. The U2 bus service stops on Granville Road, from where the footpath leads under the A40. The site can also be accessed from the Hillingdon Trail.

The main route through the site, Hillingdon Trail, is a rough gravel path that can get muddy and is undulating in places, but is usually suitable for wheelchair users and has been awarded a Seal of Approval by the London Walking Forum for its high standards. Street parking is available in Austin’s Lane.

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

April to August

About the reserve

This low-lying marsh is known for its range of plants and tall herbs, and the birds that these species attract. An oak and ash woodland is developing on the higher ground, containing hawthorn, blackthorn and elder, as well as young elm, with broad-buckler and male-ferns in the more shady places on the woodland floor.

The Yeading Brook flows from north to south through the reserve, alongside the Hillingdon Trail public footpath.

Management of Ickenham Marsh

Conservation grazing has recently been reintroduced as a sustainable means of traditional land management. A volunteering team help with general site management including invasive species control along the Brook, while the Ickenham Marshes Partnership work to improve the surrounding countryside.