Lonsdale Road Reservoir, reservoir in Barnes, London, England, UK
Lonsdale Road Reservoir is a water storage site in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, situated within a park called Leg O Mutton. A path about one mile long circles the water, offering views while tall hybrid poplar trees and other vegetation line the shores.
The reservoir was built in 1838 and originally served as water storage before being abandoned in 1960. In 1990, the site was officially designated as a local nature reserve, transforming it into a protected space.
The name comes from the street where the reservoir is located. Visitors can observe how local groups today maintain the space as a refuge for birds and wildlife that have adapted to life near water.
The site is open daily and accessible at any time of day without scheduled hours. You can reach it by train from Barnes Bridge station or by bus, including route 419 which stops nearby.
Hybrid poplar trees dating back to the 1850s serve as daytime roosts for bats that live in their branches. These ancient trees reveal how long the site has been woven into the local landscape.
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