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| Where: |
Between the A223
North Cray Road, Bexley High Street, Albany Park and Rectory Lane,
Footscray.
View Map |
Picture by Tony Banks |
| How: |
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| Rail Stations: |
Albany Park or
Bexley. |
| Entrance: |
From Albany Park
use Riverside Road or St Andrews Road. From Bexley use footpath from
Manor Road beneath rail footbridge. From Footscray use stable block
car park in Rectory Lane or park in Baugh Road south of All Saints
Church. Parking also at Water Lane, St James Way or Leafield Lane
all off North Cray Road. |
| Buses: |
Bexley Village:
132, 726.
Footscray: 21, 51, 233, 492. |
| Site: |
Several
acres of meadows, woodlands and wetlands alongside the River Cray.
Four bridges cross the river which forms a "lake" below
Five Arches Bridge popular with ducks, swans and other waterbirds.
Playing fields adjoin the site which is heavily used by dogwalkers
and for horseriding. Bordered by houses, schools, churches, a farm,
allotments and industrial sites. No toilets but White Cross Inn is
near Water Lane entrance/exit.
View
Site Map |
| Contact: |
London
Borough of Bexley Ranger Service 0208 309 6638.
Information on Cray Riverway: Joanne Lovell 0208 303 7777 x4784. |
| Leaflet on
Cray Riverway: |
LB
Bexley Local Studies Office, The Green, Sidcup (adjacent Morrison’s
car park). |
| Walking: |
A
walk of approximately two and a half miles from Rectory Lane to and
along the river, crossing the last bridge for the return trip, is
recommended. Allow about two and a half hours to include stops. |
| Flowers: |
Look
for birdsfoot trefoil, spotted and black medicks, ox-eye daisy, brown
knapweed and common mouse ear. In summer cuckoo flower or Lady’s
smock can be seen. |
| Butterflies: |
Orange
tip. |
| Mammals: |
Grey
Squirrel, fox. |
| Birds: |
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| Resident: |
Ring-necked
parakeet, kingfisher, green and great spotted woodpecker, woodpigeon,
grey wagtail, long tailed and coal tits, jackdaw, nuthatch, wren. |
| Winter: |
water
rail, green sandpiper, fieldfare, redwing, goldcrest, siskin, redpoll. |
| Spring: |
Cuckoo,
yellow wagtail. |
| Summer: |
Blackcap,
willow warbler, chiffchaff, garden warbler, lesser whitethroat. |
| Autumn: |
Ocasional
brambling, returning winter species. |
| Possible: |
Little
egret, bullfinch, spotted flycatcher, lesser spotted woodpecker, treecreeper. |
| Comment: |
A
suburban site so popular and heavily used for recreation it is amazing
that many species hang on here. Probably best in winter/early spring/autumn.
Best avoided for wildlife hunts during the school summer holidays
when unusual species like bicycles, supermarket trolleys and rubber
dinghies can be found in the river. Fortunately the Ranger service
is on the ball. Despite the pressures the kingfisher breeds here
and should be seen on any two hour walk, but possibly only as a
shimmering blue streak skimming the water. Water rail is another
popular target for birdwatchers. It frequents the marshy area at
the Footscray end of the lake. Ring-necked parakeets cannot be missed.
Even if these bright green birds hide in the upper branches their
raucous squawks betray their presence. Loring Hall sports ground
adjacent to Water Lane is a good site for mistle thrush and green
woodpecker with mediterannean gull occasionally found among the
gull flocks in winter. Blue tits and great tits nest in trees near
the footbridge opposite the field.
Picture by Tony Banks Look out for
wrens in and around the drain below the bridge.
An early morning
walk before dogwalkers and schoolchildren are about will usually
bring the greatest rewards.
Click
here
for recent sightings in Footscray Meadows. |
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