Northolt brings together distinctive landscapes and a layered local history. At Northolt Manor, an early medieval village, a medieval manor complex and surviving earthworks take centre stage; Northala Fields features ponds, streams, meadows and scrubland. Other features include shaped hills, the historic Clock Tower, the Polish Air Force Memorial and a named circular walk. During your stay, you can choose how to balance nature, archaeology and remembrance. An approximate walking distance from Northolt Central line station to Northala Fields helps with orientation.

Landscapes and Shaped Heights

Northala Fields features a developing mosaic of different habitats: wildlife ponds, fishing ponds, streams, wildflower meadows and scrubland. The range therefore extends from bodies of water to meadows and scrubland. For nature enthusiasts, the particular appeal lies in the variety of these habitats and the evolving character of the mosaic.

Northala Fields & Mounds features four conical hills, created from rubble from the original Wembley Stadium and the new White City Shopping Centre. The highest hill at Northala Fields has a spiral path leading to a viewing platform at the summit, with a 360-degree panoramic view. Two distinct aspects therefore stand out: the origin of the material used for the four hills and the view from the highest hill.

Archaeology and Local History

Northolt Manor comprises an early medieval village and a medieval manor complex surrounded by a moat. Earthworks and underground remains of the complex have survived; the medieval layout is marked out on the site. Northolt Manor is also a Local Nature Reserve on the site of a 14th-century manor house surrounded by a moat. The village, manor and layout each offer different clues for understanding the history of this place.

Northolt Village also has distinctive local features: it has a village green and a stream running through it. Northolt Village Green was designated a Conservation Area in 1969. Smith’s Farm’s surviving farmhouse dates from the 19th century and recalls the area’s agricultural past. Smith’s Farm, whose surviving farmhouse dates from the 19th century, is also part of the area’s agricultural past.

Northolt Clock Tower was built in 1937 to celebrate the accession of King George VI. The Polish Air Force Memorial at RAF Northolt was unveiled on 2 November 1948. It commemorates Polish airmen who fell in the war and the wartime service of Polish squadrons. Another historical connection is the section of the Grand Union Canal that runs through Northolt: it opened in 1801 as part of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Junction Canal.

Circular Walk and Orientation

The Marnham Fields, Bridge Farm and Smith’s Farm circular walk begins and ends at the entrance to Northolt and Greenford Countryside Park, at the junction of Millet Road and Marnham Crescent. Marnham Field was cleared and restored as part of the Countryside Park. Northala Fields is approximately 800 metres on foot from Northolt Underground station on the Central line. This distance provides a specific point of reference for your arrival.

If you would rather take part in a running event than a circular walk, the Northala Fields Parkrun offers a different type of activity: it is open to all runners, including beginners. You can weigh up the route, landscapes and historical sites according to your own interests, without having to follow a fixed itinerary.

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