A grim and overcast sky has been hanging over our beloved capital city for weeks, but it hasn't stopped us from visiting our local wildlife haven, the Gunnersbury Triangle Nature Reserve, a few days ago. Managed by the London Wildlife Trust, the Triangle consists of a secondary woodland dominated by birch and willow, with a small area of dry grassland in the north of the site. Some of the other habitats found here include a pond, scrub, marsh and meadow, all of which are typically found in many urban open spaces.
Area: 2.71 ha
Status: Site of Metropolitan Importance, Local Nature Reserve
Location: It lies between the District and Silverlink railway lines near Chiswick Park tube station; access is through a small pedestrian gate.
Location: It lies between the District and Silverlink railway lines near Chiswick Park tube station; access is through a small pedestrian gate.
"[Gunnersbury Triangle] will become a nature reserve, in the midst of city dreariness, a present and future solace, saved from developers and municipal gardeners." New Scientist, 26 April 1984
Saved from development by a public campaign in the 1980s, the Triangle is a key wildlife site of inner-west London as well as an important educational and recreational resource for local residents, and is it widely regarded as a landmark case of green activism. The site became the subject of a public enquiry in 1983 when British Rail wished to develop it for warehousing. Despite its lack of distinguishable ecological and heritage values, the site was saved by the strength of local grassroots action (Clark, 2006). Today, almost 30 years later, the Triangle is once again facing the threat of urban encroachment from the proposed Colonial Drive development. Visit the Hands Off Our Triangle! (HOOT) website to help save the nature reserve.
Since the end of the Second World War, the woodland here has grown up naturally. The wet woodland areas, also known as carr, feature pendulous sedge (Carex pendula), tufted hair-grass (Deschampsia cespitosa) and great hairy willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum). A small pond on the western boundary has been planted with yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus) and marsh marigold (Caltha palustris). In addition, the large anthills in the dry grassland areas are made by the yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus). During our visit, we encountered many of these species and listened to the delightful song of a blackcap and a chiffchaff.
FAUNA AND FLORA
Birds | Butterflies | Locally rare flora |
|---|---|---|
| Tawny owl (Strix aluco) | Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) | Lady-fern (Athyrium filix-femina) |
| Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) | Large skipper (Ochlodes faunus) | Narrow buckler fern (Dryopteris carthusiana) |
| Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) | Small copper (Lycaena phlaeas) | Heath woodrush (Luzula multiflora) |
| Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) | ||
| Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) |
The most abundant tree species occurring here are silver birch (Betula pendula) and goat willow (Salix caprea) - these are short-lived species, which are usually amongst the first to colonise bare ground, because their seeds are dispersed by wind. They make land more suitable for the growth of long-lived tree species, such as oaks. Willow seed are produced in catkins, i.e. minute seed capsules with a tuft of cottony hairs at one end or seeds embedded in a cottony mass, while the seeds of silver birch are contained in strobiles, i.e. the fruit of the female flower.
Birch, willow and oak trees support a huge variety of wildlife. Birch supports many fungi, its leaves provide food for moths and butterfly caterpillars and its seeds are eaten by gold and green finches. Willow flowers provide the earliest nectar source in the season - vital for bees, butterflies and hoverflies. The woodland also provides important nesting sites for large birds such as owls and sparrowshawks and cover for small mammals such as the nocturnal wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus). In fact, the Triangle has been home to several generations of sparrowhawks, which nest here every year.
All in all, the Gunnersbury Triangle is a wonderful oasis of wildlife and sheltered woodland in a densely urbanised setting where one can truly reconnect with nature - despite the occasional clatter of the District line passing by and the towering buildings emerging above the tree canopy.
| Map of the nature trail © Veronika Moore |
| Wildflower meadow © Veronika Moore |
| Wildflower meadow © Veronika Moore |
| Wild carrot (Daucus carota) and a tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) © Veronika Moore |
| Common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) © Veronika Moore |
| Field maple (Acer campestre) © Veronika Moore |
| First section of the Triangle's nature trail © Veronika Moore |
| Buckler Ferns, Male Ferns (Dryopteris species) © Veronika Moore |
| Silver birch (Betula pendula) © Veronika Moore |
| Path leading to the pond © Veronika Moore |
References and further reading
Clark, P. (2006) The European city and green space : London, Stockholm, Helsinki and St. Petersburg, 1850-2000. Aldershot, England: Ashgate.
