Crane Park Island

Crane Park Island lies in the River Crane, a quiet backwater in Twickenham. The island forms part of a larger wildlife corridor that runs through west London. It is owned by the local council and looked after by the London Wildlife Trust. Visitors enter beside the Shot Tower, a tall brick cylinder built in 1828. The tower once served as a lookout for gunpowder-mill fires. Remains of the old mill pool and raceways can still be traced along the paths. The site is worth visiting for its wildlife and its layered history. The rare water vole lives among the reeds and sedges. Kingfishers flash along the water’s edge while woodpeckers tap in the canopy. Dragonflies and damselflies dart over the pond in summer. Frogs and newts shelter in the damp corners of the island. All this greenery sits within a former gunpowder works, a reminder of the explosions that once shook the valley. Paths wind through dense woodland and open scrub, crossing wooden bridges over small channels. The Shot Tower stands sentinel near the entrance, its windows still watching the river. A circular walk of about half a kilometre keeps visitors close to the water’s edge. Benches offer places to sit and watch the birds. The island feels remote even though it is only a few minutes from busy Twickenham streets.