There are all sorts of “curiosities” in the Colne Valley Regional Park. Perhaps you have stumbled across them, marvelled and wondered what they are and how they got there? We thought it might be fun to gather some photographs here and provide some explanations.
Perhaps you have found something you would like to contribute to our collection. If so please send us a photo or photos and a few words to accompany them to [email protected] and don’t forget to include the location. Alternatively you could Tweet it, tagging your Tweet @Colne_Valley #Curious
Denham Court Suspension Bridge
The Denham Court Suspension Bridge is a Grade II Listed footbridge, crossing the River Colne. Built circa 1890, restored. Composite iron structure. Single span iron suspension bridge of about 19 metres with wrought iron piers, renewed steel hangers, lattice work pylons and sixteen pairs of suspension rods. Half is in the London Borough of Hillingdon. Visible from the Denham Court Circular Bridleway, but not accessible. To be clear there is no public access to the bridge, it can only be viewed from the east side of the Colne and even that access is currently not possible, so for now you will have to make do with this beautiful photograph.
Location TQ0515186908 or https://w3w.co/wire.send.stop
This ‘curiosity’ has been contributed by Paul Graham. Thank you Paul we appreciate your extensive knowledge on all things Colne Valley.
Heron Statues
The River Guardian
Just east of Staines bridge, by a small wooden footbridge over the River Colne as it meets the Thames, is a curious stone sculpture of a bird marking the confluence of the rivers. It is The River Guardian by Simon Buchanan MRSS. The work was erected in 2003 and is carved out of Portland limestone. It is a stylised representation of a heron – quite different to the one outside the Visitor Centre!
TQ0330471485 or https://w3w.co/fame.rate.museum
Also contributed by Paul Graham.
The Colne Valley Heron
The heron statue outside the Colne Valley Visitor Centre is in our opinion very beautiful. If anyone knows the artist, please contact us and let us know. What we do know is that it originated in Thorney Park and was reinstalled in its current position as part of the Colne Valley Regional Park 40th anniversary celebrations in 2005, when HRH Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex unveiled the sculpture, which is of course the park’s emblem.
Swallow hole
You can see a swallow hole at Northmoor Hill local nature reserve. This is the point where the stream disappears into the chalk bedrock. An interesting geological feature of this site. Follow the ‘rock trail’ from the main entrance to the site, to see the swallow hole and experience other interesting geological features of this site. See the Bucks Geology Group for more detailed information.
location of Northmoor Hill Wood Site entrance: TQ 034 892 or https://w3w.co/target.lakes.twice
Contributed by Stewart Pomeroy.
Sir Barnes Wallis Memorial
An echo of WWII military aviation history can be found on the edge of Harmondsworth Moor at the southern end of the Colne Valley Regional Park. It was here at the Road Research Laboratories that Barnes Wallis developed his famous water-skipping mine that was used by No. 617 Squadron RAF to break the Möhne and Eder Dams on the night of 16/17 May 1943.
Barnes Neville Wallis (1887 to 1979) was an aeronautical engineer, in October 1940 he began to consider ways to attack sources of enemy industrial power. These included dams that held back supplies of water required to produce steel and armaments. Wallis enlisted the help of the Road Research Laboratories in experiments to find out how much explosive would be needed to break such dams, and how it should best be placed. This small, dedicated team of engineers and their series of experiments played a critical role, without their work, Wallis’s weapon and the legend of No. 617 Squadron, “The Dambusters” would never have been born. In the 1955 film The Dam Busters, Wallis was played by Michael Redgrave.
location: Moor Lane, Harmondsworth, UB7 0AR, near the entrance to Harmondsworth Moor.
Contributed by Anthony Longden.
Alistair Lilley, Ranger, beside the memorial talking about Road Research Lab at the start of a guided walk of Harmondsworth Moor.
Denham Deep Lock
With a fall of almost 3.5 metres (11 feet), Denham Deep Lock holds the record for the deepest lock on the Grand Union Canal. Just above it is an aqueduct carrying the canal over Fray’s River, an artificial loop in the River Colne, originally created to supply waterpower to six flourmills.
If you’re in Uxbridge, take a stroll to Denham Country Park and Denham Deep Lock up the Grand Union Canal from The Swan & Bottle. It doesn’t take long, and you’ll be a world away from the hustle and bustle of town.
Discover Denham Deep Lock with this excellent activity sheet
Section 12 of 24 of the London Loop from Uxbridge to Harefield West passes Denham Deep Lock. As does Walk 1 – Denham and Uxbridge Walk in Walking in the Footsteps of an Edwardian, which will guide you..
Shortly before Denham Lock(towards Uxbridge), turn left on a footpath which crosses the River Colne. Go through a kissing gate and across Misbourne Meadow. Continue through another gate, then across a road and you will reach the Visitor Centre in Denham.
location: Ickenham, Uxbridge UB9 5PG or https://what3words.com/arena.shirts.drew
Contributed by Stewart Pomeroy.
