TCV
Connecting people and green spaces
Crane Park - Water vole ditch habitat creation (FINAL SESSION)
An activity with Richmond Weekday Projects
Activity date: Thursday 30th April 2026
Start time: 10:00
Finish time: 16:00
Activity description
This will be our FINAL SESSION working along the edge of the River Crane (off Hospital Bridge Road) to reinstate a ditch system and create a bund as habitat for water voles. This project is in partnership with FORCE and LBRuT. Creating a ditch and bund along the river will provide new habitat for the water vole, who create burrows in river banks. The ditch system will also create a floodplain for river water to expand into during periods of high rain fall. We have a selection of chest waders available, but most of them are bigger sizes (7 and upwards). So if you are like me and you have smaller feet, you will need a few extra socks to work in these waders. This work will be muddy, so I do recommend you bring clothes you don't mind getting dirty in or spare layers to wear at the end of the day.
Meeting place
We will meet in the triangle meadow located off Hospital Bridge Road at 10am. This is the meadow located directly south of Lincoln Field Sports Pitches, and contains the FORCE Kingfisher Bench. Look out for the TCV van. What3words meeting point:///during.dots.laying
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Activity location
Crane Park, Hospital Bridge Road Entrance, Crane Park, Hospital Bridge Road, Twickenham TW2, TW2 6DF
Site description
Crane Park is a linear park that run from Hounslow to Twickenham. The reserve is a mosaic of woodland, river banks & islands, scrub, ditches, ponds and reedbed. This entrance in on the east side of Hospital Bridge Road, just south of the roundabout. Surrounding this entrance are six wildflower meadows (Crane Park, Hospital Bridge, Willow Way, triangle, Fullwell Park, and Mill Road meadows). The meadows are managed by LBRuT, with two hay cuts conducted each year. The Friends of River Crane (FORCE) work closely with LBRuT to manage Crane Park in Richmond.
Pick Up Point
Contact
Brittany Florence-Bennett
Telephone: 07483050759
Email: B.florencebennett@tcv.org.uk
Website: https://www.tcv.org.uk/london/biodiversity-action-teams/richmond-bat-west
Please bring
- packed lunch
- suitable outdoor clothes
- suitable outdoor footwear
Further info
We provide hot drinks, so please bring your own mug (and spoon). Booking on Eventbrite is required. Please DO NOT attend our sessions if you have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 5 days.
Site Facilities
- Nearest Toilets - ~10 min walk to Whitton Community Centre, Percy Road, Whitton, TW2 6JL