Public nature areas and green spaces
The William Hobbayne charity has maintained and preserved 2 areas from part of the original donated acreage as land accessible to the public. These areas are:
William Hobbayne Half Acre Woodland
Billets Hart Copse
Billets Hart Copse
When the Greater London Council realigned the River Brent as part of a flood alleviation scheme in the 1980s the new line cut through the Charity’s Billets Hart Allotments.
As a consequence, what had originally been the riverbed became the Charity's land in exchange for the allotment land that was lost. The Fitzherbert Walk footpath from Uxbridge Road to the Canal near The Fox Public House passes through this piece of land, which is part of the Brent River Park. Where the path passes over the Charity's land it is a 'Permissive Path' and not a public Right of Way.
We are now managing the land in an environmentally friendly way to improve biodiversity and for the enjoyment of the many walkers who pass through it and we
are proud to be improving our local landscape. We have planted many new trees on the copse.
Hobbayne Half Acre Field
This woodland between Half Acre Road, the River Brent and the Wharncliffe Viaduct was part of the original acreage that William Hobbayne donated and has remained untouched, apart from a couple of decades during and after World War II when local residents grew food on it to feed their families.
Although private, the land is accessible to anybody who wishes to walk through it. The public footpath from Station Road to the River Brent footbridge runs along the northern edge of the land.
In 2015 we set out to create a woodland management plan to maintain, improve and enhance the wood. This project has seen major changes to the condition of the wood and has seen the growth and development of fauna and flora as well as an increase in the number of animal species.
Over the last few years a number of corporate groups, community groups and local schools have been helping to clear the land and plant 400 new trees. Children from local schools have created a stag beetle loggery.
Grass Roots Forest School have a licence to work with community groups and schools to encourage outdoor education. They now use the wood alongside Haven Woods, who are a local community group supporting outdoor education, wellbeing sessions and yoga experiences.
Since the revitalisation of the area through the ongoing management plan, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of local residents using and enjoying the space.
The Charity continues to promote and monitor environmentally friendly uses that will help ensure conservation of the woodland.
