Ruislip Manor to Rickmansworth Stations Linear

Setting off from Ruislip Manor Station (Met and Piccadilly) car park at 10.00am, we will walk 0.6 miles up the road to Ruislip Woods. This National Nature Reserve is the largest block of ancient, semi-natural woodland in Greater London and includes one of the most extensive oak/hornbeam coppice woods in southeast England. Following the Hillingdon trail through the woods, crossing Ducks Hill Road to Mad Bess Woods (where we can have a short break) to St Mary's Church Harefield we head down to the Grand Union Canal at Black Jacks.  Along the towpath we'll stop for lunch in the open, probably near The Coy Carp pub. Continuing past Springwell Reedbed Nature Reserve - the largest reedbed in the London area - as well as more industrial canal sites, we leave the towpath to go around Springwell and Stocker Lakes Nature Reserves featuring nationally important numbers of wintering birds, before emerging from the Aquadrome at Ebury roundabout. From there Rickmansworth Station (Met) is a short walk. Toilets are available at Ruislip Lido at 2.5 miles, the Coy Carp and the end of the walk as well as possibilities in the woodland we walk through.