Braeburn Park

Region: South East

This diverse greenspace in Crayford, near Dartford is a haven for local wildlife with an intriguing range of habitats including a mix of chalk, acid and neutral grassland, scrub, relict orchard, mature woodland, sandy banks and gravel cliffs. It is a great place to spot butterflies and other insects in spring and summer.

The Present and the Future

Braeburn Park is managed in partnership with London Wildlife Trust who undertake the day-to-day site management.

Sara’s Nature Play and Learning offers play and educational activities on site for children aged 0-11 years. Find out more here.

Braeburn Park Contact


The site contact for our Braeburn Park space is Simon Hawkins Tel: 07772 821134

This space is managed in partnership with London Wildlife Trust

Visitor Information

Opening Hours

Open access

Car Parking

Nearby at Crayford Rail Station

Toilets

No
(click here to find the nearest public toilets)

Café

The Riverside Cafe at Hall Place on Bourne Road is open daily 10am-5pm and is nearby.

Entrance cost

No

Accessibility

Much of the reserve has uneven path surfaces and camber with steep inclines, although wheelchair access is possible from Lower Station Road via a gate.

Footpaths

Yes

Dogs

Well controlled dogs are welcome and must be on a lead at all times.

Things to do

Walking, bird watching and wildlife spotting.

Conservation, Wildlife, Flora, Fauna

A site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation. Wansunt Pit (located within the site) is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Other nearby attractions

Ruxley Gravel Pits, The Warren, Birdbrook Road Nature Reserve, Hall Place & Gardens, London Loop Circular Walk (Section 1)

Other Links

View the link

Location

Lower Station Road, Crayford, Bexley, DA1 3RG

Site size: 22 hectares

Events

There are currently no events relating to this space.

View all events

History

Originally a market garden and an orchard, sand and gravel extraction took place here until the 1980’s. When this activity ceased the area was used for landfill and the Crayford Gun Club was based here.

Following this period Braeburn Park was created as part of the neighbouring residential development and it has been managed by the London Wildlife Trust, in partnership with the Land Trust, since 2014.

Development

The Park’s management includes opening up dense areas of scrub to create open grassland habitat, mowing acid grassland slopes and thinning of gorse and broom patches. Hazel coppicing started in 2015 and pathside scrub is cut on a three year cycle.

New steps have been constructed to improve access and footpath improvements are ongoing. Benches and interpretation at entrances and key points around Braeburn Park enhance the visitor experience.

Land Trust Contact

To contact the Land Trust about this site or how we could help manage your space please email our Estates Manager Benjamin Sanderson .

To enquire about holding an event on a Land Trust site, please click here.

Downloads

Download Braeburn Park Case Study

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How you can help

We are always on the look out for enthusiastic, committed people who want to make a real and lasting difference in their local community.

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