Harrow Nature Conservation Forum

Bentley Priory Nature Reserve is the best known of the sites we maintain. It lies north of the Uxbridge Road and northwest of central Stanmore. The post code is HA7 3LY. The easiest access from central Stanmore is via Old Lodge Way, but there are a number of other entrances as indicated on the maps below.

The 87 hectares of the reserve slope southwards from the edge of the Stanmore Hill ridge in the north. The lower part is London clay but in the north there is a narrow overlying band of the Claygate beds with a cap of quaternary gravels on the ridge. A number of springs emerge from the junction with the clay and form streams.

The habitats are varied with woodland and scrub, grassland and the main water bodies Summerhouse Lake and Boot Pond with several streams.

The most important habitat is the grassland. This is unimproved and it has been designated a site of special scientific interest (S.S.S.I.) by English Nature. The area is grazed by cattle and also by rabbits and thus is kept short. It contains many ant hills which are very attractive to the green woodpeckers.

Some of the woodland is classed as ancient and an area of Heriots wood to the east has been fenced off from the cattle to allow regeneration. The main trees are oak and hornbeam with some hawthorn, holly and silver birch. There are several wild service trees.

The scrub areas are on the edge of the grassland and provide breeding areas for warblers and other birds. To the north on the more acidic soil is a good stand of gorse with some broom. One problem in these areas is the dense growth of bramble.

The main water body is Summerhouse Lake which has been formed by damming one of the streams. Work has been done recently by the Environment Agency to improve the dam to prevent flooding in Stanmore and Edgeware in the event of a flash flood as streams run into the lake from the ridge to the north. Boot Pond is a small pond in the southeast corner which is fed by a separate spring.

There are also some marsh areas and a private deer park to the east which has a small herd of fallow deer.

On the left is shown the area around Bentley Priory Nature Reserve to show the walking route from Stanmore station (Jubilee line). Buses 340 and H12 run along the Uxbridge Road/Church Road, 258 along Brookshill/Common Road, and 142 along The Common/Stanmore Hill (Map modified from a Google Maps original).

On the left are shown access points to the reserve in more detail. 1: Old Lodge Way 2: Masefield Avenue 3: Unpaved road from Clamp Hill then footpath, skirting Lower Priory Farm. 4: Path from Common Road. This provides convenient access for walkers coming from Harrow Weald Common on the west side of Common Road. 5: Gate on Priory Drive 6: Aylmer Drive 7: Embry Way Map modified from a Google Maps original

For meeting points for walks and working parties contact the warden, Peter Peretti, as below.

Link to map showing ecological compartments of Bentley Priory Nature Reserve

Click here to download a Harrow Council leaflet describing the Bentley Priory circular walk, a long walk centred on Bentley Priory but passing through a number of other sites (PDF file)