Two adults looking at fungi in Gutteridge Wood and Meadows

Gutteridge Wood and Meadows

An ancient oak and hazel coppice woodland and adjacent associated meadows in North Hillingdon. The woodland is carpeted with brilliant bluebells in spring and a year-long haven for birds and wildflowers.

Location

Lynhurst Crescent, North Hillingdon

Hillingdon

UB10 9EQ

Know before you go

Size

25 hectares

Parking information

Street parking available in Lynhurst Crescent

Walking trails

Hillingdon Trail runs through and connects Gutteridge Wood and Meadows with Ten Acre Wood and Meadows (to the east) and Ickenham Marsh (to the north). There is a boardwalk in places.

Access

The entrance from the west is in Lynhurst Crescent, while from the east the entrance is via the Hillingdon Path or Charville Lane. The U2 bus stops in Windsor Avenue or Ryefield Avenue, while the U7 stops in Charville Lane. Hillingdon (Piccadilly line) is the nearest station, about 12 minutes’ walk to Gutteridge Wood and Meadows.

Gates and barriers excluding illegal motorcycles from using the Hillingdon Trail means the site is inaccessible to wheelchairs. The main path is well surfaced and there is a boardwalk in places, but other parts can be muddy. Parking’s available in Charville Lane and there’s limited parking in Lynhurst Crescent.

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

April to July, September to November

About the reserve

Gutteridge Wood and Meadows in Hillingdon sits in an area of traditional countryside character, where ancient woodland and wildflower meadows meet. This part of the Yeading Brook Valley is a haven for birds. Oak and hazel coppice woodland bursts to life each spring with a blanket of bluebells. Wildflowers and grasses dominate the meadows, hosting an array of insect life.

A visit to Gutteridge Wood and Meadows can form part of a day out to three adjacent nature reserves - Ten Acre Wood and Meadows joins immediately to the south and Yeading Brook Meadows is another short walk beyond it.

History of Gutteridge Wood and Meadows

The woodland is ancient and has been standing here for many hundreds of years; it was once called Great Ditch Wood. A dedicated volunteer group have worked tirelessly to conserve this area for 30 years and persuaded landowner Hillingdon Council to designate Gutteridge Wood and Meadows as part of Yeading Woods Local Nature Reserve in 1990, which also includes adjacent Ten Acre Wood and Meadows.

Management of Gutteridge Wood and Meadows

Work centres on expanding the area of neutral wet grassland, clearing encroaching thorny scrub and reintroducing conservation grazing. We have also undertaken river improvements along Yeading Brook, reducing shading from overhanging vegetation and creating a more natural river flow with brash berms, helping the river sustain more invertebrate and fish species. London Wildlife Trust manage the site on behalf of the London Borough of Hillingdon.