Hill on the Heath Activities
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The Fractal House
Climbing and bouldering will be centred on The Fractal House upon which external climbing that is designed using fractal geometry to represent tumbling rock and internally the space will provide for locker rooms, changing facilities, ticketing and a café.
The Hill on the Heath
Rising up the Hill itself will afford facilities for adventure sports including; climbing, ropewalking, biking; and ultimately, at the top, providing a panoramic view of the whole Thames basin from Canary Wharf, to Harrow on the Hill and the North Downs.
The Hill will provide the central focus of the recreational area. This will incorporate informal recreational use, landscaped gardens, rope walking, bike centre, outdoor climbing and rowing. The integration of the facilities with the Heath will introduce opportunities for horse riding, cycling and general improved enjoyment of the Heath.
The hill will be constructed of non hazardous material, certified by the Environment Agency and brought in from excavations of construction activity in London. This will provide a sustainable recycling resuse of such material under the proximity principle in the Mayor's London Plan.
Gardens / Water Gardens
The setting around the Hill will allow for informal recreation and relaxation amongst the pavillioned water gardens and wetlands.
The Farm Pavillion
The Farm Pavilion will integrate the intellectual resources, both at the volunteer (Friends of Hounslow Heath) and Ranger level, with the outdoor laboratory facilities and interpretation centre which will provide the comprehensive base for a community wide nature conservation education facility at all ages. Our overarching philosophy looks to provide for the enrichment of individuals through the exploration and understanding of the Heath, of encouraging an awareness of these myriad possibilities.
The Hill on the Heath Farm
The working farm with an integrated community police facility will have play areas modelled on the old WW1 Hounslow aerodrome and the recreation of the Siege of Buda, James II undertook here in 1686 within the complex and elsewhere on the hill itself so making 10 acres and more of a varied and safe environment for play , learning and recreation.
Hounslow Heath
Our aim is to make the heath a safe resource for the local neighbourhood and the wider community by the provision of wide a range of activities through landscape planning. Further, by creating interconnecting knolls and a landmark hill, people will be able to survey the wildness of the heath and to navigate it on foot, horse and bicycle by reference to these features.
We propose that this planned landscape contain the elements of “natural surveillance” which occurs by designing the placement of physical features, activities and people in such a way as to allow increased observation and thereby create a safer perceived environment.
The project will allow for the funding of well constructed connected footpaths through the heath allowing for intelligible access. These footpaths/ bridle paths will be connected by a series of knolls that will provide a resting place and allow identification and positioning within the Heath. The landscape management plan seeks to accentuate the existing concentrations of trees on the heath to increase the visual amenity and by more intensive ecological management resulting from the grazing characteristics of the Herd of Sussex and Hereford Cattle.
Explore the map with your mouse for information about the features illustrated.
We are interested in your feedback on the project too. If you would like to contribute, click here and let us know your thoughts. It is your views that will help us to ensure that Hounslow Heath offers all the benefits most important to you.