For the first time this weekend I visited Beddington Farmlands, joining a group of people to see the areas not usually open to the public. The Ikea towers loomed large in the distance.
I went with an open mind to learn more about the location. I’m incredibly grateful to the people who helped make this possible and who are gradually able to share their knowledge in person.
Like many locals, I’m keen to one day see it open to the public, with its beautiful lakes and surprisingly far-reaching views across London – you can even see Wembley Stadium from here.
I have visions of a café and visitor centre similar to those at Barnes Wetland Centre and other nature reserves: a managed site with security, staff, and enough income to become self-sustaining.
Beddington Farmlands is a nature reserve between Hackbridge, Beddington and Croydon. It covers 161 hectares (400 acres), with lakes and wildflowers.
It’s a place of intense local interest because of its importance for botany and wild bird conservation.
I was lucky enough to chat to the site’s sole employee, warden Charlie Owens. I also met some of the passionate birders who kindly donate their time to record the birds on the site and help maintain the bird hides.
The key thing is to protect and enhance the location for a wide range of wildlife, from birds to butterflies, creating an area rich in nature.
The site was farmland for hundreds of years, and returning it to natural beauty is not a quick process. The land was owned by the Carew family and has always been part of the floodplain of the River Wandle. From the 1860s, it was used to dispose of human waste, which in turn attracted wild birds.
Later, much of the land came under the ownership of Thames Water (as it still is today), and part of it became a gravel pit. When the gravel ran out, the area was turned into landfill. Around 10 years ago, this was covered in soil.
But what about opening it permanently to the public?
To my mind, this should be possible one day — though not for quite a while. The site has various landowners, all with a legal obligation to maintain, enhance and protect it for nature. Once the site is ready, there should be no reason for the landowners to object.
From my understanding, the key priorities are growing mature hedges around the lakes (with viewing points), then working out how to safely and neatly vent methane from the landfill. My understanding is that this process can take decades, so managing it is essential. Then there is the issue of noise — affecting nesting and visiting birds — as well as anti-social behaviour.
I think this is why the site should eventually have a visitor centre with paid entry, and either no dogs or dogs kept on leads. Paid entry would help fund specialists to look after the site, as well as security improvements. At this stage, I can’t see it being free, simply because protecting sites like this costs money, particularly in built-up urban areas. But it’s still very early days, so it’s hard to say exactly how it would work.
The wetlands have been adapted over many years, and now they are changing once more. It’s a long, slow process, but it will be worth it in the end — and the warden provides a very capable pair of hands.
⚠️ Please remember this is a restricted access site. Check our events page for occasional public opening times.
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