Wednesday, April 01, 2020
One of the highlights of John Betjeman's 1973 Metro-Land documentary is his visit to Neasden.
Willie Rushton sings a few lines in tribute to the humdrum suburb, and then the camera whisks us away to Gladstone Park.Over the points by electrical traction,
out of the chimneypots, into the openness,
till we come to the suburb that's thought to be commonplace,
home of the gnome and the average citizen,
Sketchley and Unigate, Dolcis and Walpamur.
Alas, despite years of searching I have never been able to find any physical evidence of the Neasden Nature Trail, nor any publication containing it. So a fortnight ago I visited Gladstone Park and attempted to cobble together how the trail might fit together.... a steep slope ascending to a wide and well-prospected view with grassy banks and cunningly planted clumps of trees.
And here Mr Eric Simms in Gladstone Park keeps a sharp eye on what is going on. For this is the start of the well-known Neasden Nature Trail.
The Neasden Nature Trail
Gladstone Park covers 90 acres on the grassy slopes of Dollis Hill. It was opened by the Earl of Aberdeen in 1901. Today it offers excellent views over London and incorporates a wide variety of wildlife.
Eric Simms says: "Living in a suburban situation, this park is a tremendous asset for anyone interested in wildlife. And it's a marvellous place for coming to watch young birds at this time of year, which roam over the grass swards looking for food."
(1) We start at the summit of the hill by the gate to the walled garden. Here we find Magnolia grandiflora in full bloom, and bushy shrubbery bristling with bright white flowers.
(2) The Friends of Gladstone Park have recently replanted these beds with 89 rose bushes from the nursery at Peter Beales. Varieties include New Dawn, Comte de Chambord, Macmillan Nurse, City of York and Leah Tutu.
(3) Look carefully in the grass beside the ruins of Dollis Hill House and you should find the common lawn daisy (Bellis perennis) with its rosettes of small rounded leaves growing flat to the ground.
(4) The lake is home to waterfowl including several mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). This is a lovely spot to pause and enjoy their antics, but do not throw bread.
(5) Across the lawn the humble daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) provides an excellent display. A cluster of tropical palms reflects the hardiness of Neasden's temperate climate.
(6) Regular cutting by Gladstone Park's gardening crew provides a habitat for birds that forage on short grass like the starling (Sturnus vulgaris).
(7) The first spring growth from the weeping willow (Salix babylonica) brings a spark of green to the brow of the hill above the tennis courts.
(8) That's a cock blackbird looking for worms. That's a hen blackbird which has just come out from the shrubberies.
(9) A magnificent avenues of plane trees (Platanus acerifolia) crosses the flank of the hill, intersecting with another avenue heading down from Dollis Hill Lane.
(10) One of the very common birds round here is the London or feral pigeon (Columba livia domestica).
(11) The generosity of the Japan-British Society means that the path down to the railway line will soon be brightened by 100 Sakura cherry trees (Prunus serrulata), due to be planted in autumn 2020.
(12) While crossing the bridge over the railway, don't miss the dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) bursting forth from the ridged borders of the wooden treads.
(13) Residents of Kendal Road are treated daily to the blackbird's dawn chorus - very impassioned, very brilliant, and maintained for perhaps say half an hour to forty minutes.
(14) Now a common visitor to the park, the rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) squawks across the sky then pauses politely on a branch to pose for photos.
(15) Ornithologists are uncertain quite what species of bird this might be, perched atop a stepped pyramid beside the children's playground.
(16) Back again at the top of the hill, the flower beds in the walled garden are at their horticultural finest in the summer. So best come back then, if you can.
Eric Simms says: "The second most interesting part of my nature trail at Neasden are the allotments in Brook Road. There's such a good view that I can identify birds at a great distance. Altogether I've seen 92 different species of bird within half a mile of my home here, and that's not a bad total."
Alas the allotments in Brook Road are now fenced off, so I'm unable to recreate the second part of the Neasden Nature Trail. But if you'd like to hear more from its creator, naturalist and broadcaster Eric Simms, his appearance on Desert Island Discs in June 1976 is well worth a listen. Or just watch him again stealing the show in Betjeman's Metro-Land, enthusing about the joys of ornithology in everyday Neasden.
