Brief History
Railway Fields Nature Reserve started out as a British Rail goods depot. In 1967 this was closed and left unoccupied until the local council bought it in 1975. After a period of being used for a community centre, in 1986, the site started its transition to becoming a haven for local wildlife and an educational centre. In 1990 it secured status as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) and continues to be the one of the smallest in London; at two acres.
The Conservation Volunteers have been managing the site for over ten years working out of the well-designed Swiss chalet style wooden building. As a result of our work Railway Fields has been awarded the Green Flag for the past 8 years running.
Present Day
Railway Fields is becoming ever more engraved into the hearts of the local community. It continues to be a place of tranquillity and calmness for wildlife and the public. Nothing beats the feeling of walking through the gates, on busy Green Lanes, and suddenly leaving all of that noise behind.
We are always thinking of ways to make this place even more enjoyable. Our current projects involve building a natural den for kids, creating stag beetle loggeries and reinventing the way you walk around the site.
The Reserve continues to be a very important place for primary school education trips. We have over 600 kids attending annually. We also run training programmes for community groups. You can hire the venue out for a business meeting, birthday party or friendly gathering.
Wildlife
Railway Fields Nature Reserve may be small, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in diversity and the site is renowned for its flora. Among the habitats found here is woodland, scrub, meadow, pond and marshland. Over 200 species of wild flowers have been recorded and they include the unique Haringey Knotweed discovered in 1987, a remarkable cross between the Japanese Knotweed and the Russian Vine.
Twenty-one kinds of butterfly have been recorded over the last few years and more than sixty species of birds have been observed since Railway Fields first opened.