Eardley Road Sidings Nature Reserve is a hidden little nature gem. It’s teaming with wildlife and when you are there you can easily forget that you are in the middle of London.
The history of the Eardley Road Sidings
In the past Eardley Road Nature Reserve was a railway siding in full use until the electrification of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR; known also as “the Brighton line”, “the Brighton Railway” or the Brighton that was running along these tracks.
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end. Sidings often have lighter rails, meant for lower speed or less heavy traffic, and few, if any, signals.
Sidings have been used for marshalling, stabling, storing, loading and unloading vehicles. Often some sidings have very occasional use, having been built, for example, to service an industry, a railway yard or a stub of a disused railway that has since closed. It is not uncommon for an infrequently-used siding to fall into disrepair.
But when humans leave nature claims back the land.
Eardley Road Nature Reserve
After decades of industry the wilderness has returned to the sidings and today you can find there a totally enclosed wood and nature reserve. The wood contains ash, birch and oak trees – and there are many birds that have been recorded here.
Activities during the summer
During the summer holiday we will run a variety of events as part of our WILD WEEK.
All session will be run by the trained Forest School leader and experienced outdoor educator Judith Ressler.
There will be something for everybody from Nature crafts, to bug hunts and bat walks.
And there will be special activities for adults too, such as courses in Tree & plant identification, woodland management and a history & heritage walk.
View the ERSNR Summer Holiday Programme 2016
The future of the Eardley Road Nature Reserve
As the project time is limited Judith aims to create a self-sustaining community group that would like to improve this side and care for it in the future.
If you are a Lambeth resident and interested in making a difference and improve Eardley Road Sidings Nature Reserve we can support you to get going.
This engagement project founded and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Lambeth Council, run by The Conservation Volunteers.
Find out more
To find out more please:
- contact Judith Ressler, the TCV Community Outreach Officer at j.ressler@tcv.org.uk or call 07901 00 83 16
- follow us on Twitter @tcv_EardleyRoad,
- Like us on Facebook
- or see our website at www.tcv.org.uk
