Elsewhere in the area's history and despite its land being difficult to farm, it was once home to a fairly successful orchard called Fawns Manor Farm which supplied food to the centre of London through until the 1920s. However, before the farm closed, the land had already become home to a small quarry where gravel extraction took place. This was expanded in the 1930s when gravel and sand were in high demand for local building projects. By the 1950s the quarrying had come to an end and the land was then used as a landfill for both domestic and industrial waste, where it was apparently described as being as 'the largest pile of rubbish in Europe'. By 1973 it ceased to be used as a landfill site, but was left with derelict buildings, polluted land and abandoned machinery.
In 1988 a new era began for the former farm when the local council granted permission for the creation of some industrial units on part of the land. As part of the agreement, the developers, The Rutland Group, had to transform 188 acres of the site into a country park. Owing to the remnants of the extraction process, the land had already started to form its own lakes, but the water had become severely contaminated by the materials in the landfill, so this had to be dealt with. A few years later the work had been completed, and it was opened to the public in 1995 as Bedfont Lakes Country Park. It contains lakes, wetlands, woodland and wildflower meadows. These make the park a haven for local wildlife where it has become home to 156 species of bird, 124 species of moth and to over 20 different types of mammals. As a quirky side note, there is a lake called Bedfont Lake but it sits across the road and outside of the country park.
Overall, the country park is very much focused on being a natural space, so the number of facilities present onsite are quite limited. Saying that, you will find two playgrounds, a raised mound called Monolith Hill, a trim trail, wood-carved sculptures, bird hides, picnic benches and an Information Centre which contains the park's toilet facilities. In 2000 it gained Nature Reserve status and is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, plus it has won several awards such as the London in Bloom Wildflower and Environment Trophy. On Saturday mornings the park is home to Bedfont Lakes parkrun, which is a free, weekly, timed 5 kilometre community event that is open to all abilities including people who wish to walk. The event is run by volunteers, and this means there are plenty of opportunities to become involved.
The park has two sections which are divided by a railway line. The smaller of the two can be found south of the railway line and does not have any direct physical connection to the rest of the site. It is effectively a completely separate entity. The main section of the park, which sits north of the railway line is the part that is of interest to this write-up. It is triangular in shape and has its main access points on the east and west sides. The lakes and the adjacent Bedfont Lakes Business Park take up the majority of the northern tip of the triangle. If visiting to take part in the parkrun, the meeting point is pretty much right in the centre of the park. I have visited this venue twice. The first time was in July 2013 and I revisited in September 2026.
There are two on-site car parks which should both be open by 8am. The Bedfont Lakes parkrun website requests that parkrunners use the Bedfont Road car park which is the one at the eastern end of the park. This one can hold around 70 vehicles, plus it has an overflow section which, assuming everybody parks sensibly, could possibly double the capacity to up to around 140 vehicles. However, the overflow is not paved, may contain large pot holes and remains closed when the ground conditions are unfavourable to prevent instances of cars getting stuck. The other option is the Clockhouse Lane car park which is effectively the park's main parking area. There is a main car park which holds about 25 vehicles plus 3 disabled spaces but has uneven ground and potholes. There is a second area (closer to the main gate) which can also be used that holds another 20 or so. All of the on-site car parks are completely free-of-charge to use.
For cyclists, the only bespoke bicycle parking spots that I saw are located at the Clockhouse Lane entrance, just opposite the Information Centre. The racks are really old and are more like bike stands where the wheels can be placed into the slots. Alternative options would be to use the metal fences which can be found adjacent to the car parks at both ends. From what I saw on my 2026 visit a few participants took their bikes all the way to the parkrun meeting area where they were left against a tree or unsecured on the grass.
Arriving on public transport isn't quite as straightforward as it is for most parkrun venues in London. If using the tube, the best option I can find is to take the Piccadilly Line to Hatton Cross station and then get the H26 bus to Bedfont Lane. The local National Rail service is South Western Railway trains running between London Waterloo and Weybridge or Windsor and Eton Riverside. Looking at a map, the closest station is Ashford (surrey) which upon first glance appears to be within walking distance of the park. However the walk would involve negotiating a stretch of Clockhouse Lane with no pavements, including crossing a vehicle-only bridge, which is highly dangerous. The advice is to not use this route on foot. Seriously, do not attempt it. If using National Rail, the better option is to alight at Feltham station and take the H26 bus to Bedfont Road. Please note that the H26 bus only runs every 30 minutes, so be sure to check the timetables in advance.
For an overnight stay, the closest hotel I can find is the 'Travelodge London Feltham', next the Feltham station. There are also some other independent options in the vicinity of the station and the H26 bus provides a simple connection on-the-day. Given the park's close proximity to Heathrow Airport, there are further hotel options within a few mile radius of the park. The closest Premier Inns are located at Sunbury, Staines-Upon-Thames and Heathrow terminal 4. Plus there is a the Atrium Hotel Heathrow and Hilton Garden Inn Heathrow next to Hatton Cross tube station where the H26 bus can be used for the morning's connection.
As mentioned above, the parkrun meeting point is right in the centre of the park. It is equidistant (approx 700m) from both of the entrances. The main logistical awkwardness once onsite is the location of the toilets, which are in the visitor centre at the opposite end from the recommended car park and the H26 bus stop. It is of course possible to walk from the Bedfont Road entrance to the visitor centre and then back across to the meeting point but that adds up to about 2.1km in total so you'd need to arrive early enough to allow for that. If a toilet is crucial (and you don't fancy the extra mileage on foot) you could either head to the Clockhouse Lane car park and hope there is space or stop enroute. I have found the following nearby off-site options.
For those travelling by vehicle places like service stations, supermarkets and McDonald's will likely be the best options. Feltham has a large Asda, Tesco and a McDonalds all with parking. If approaching from the M25 the A30 has a McDonalds and Tesco, both next to Ashford Hospital. If approaching from London on the A30, there's McDonalds at Henlys Roundabout, and then if approaching from the south (M3) there's a large Tesco in Sunbury-on-Thames. If travelling by train, Feltham station has toilets on platform 1. For the record the Transport for London facilities information page for Hatton Cross tube station suggests there are no toilets within the tube station.
The parkrun itself takes place over two identical anti-clockwise laps of the park with a short start and finish tail. For the record, the current course was introduced in 2021 in order to meet the post-covid requirements, replacing the course that was in use during my first visit. The surface underfoot is a mixture of gravel and larger stones and features a fair amount of uneven sections. The ideal footwear may vary depending on the weather conditions as I understand it can get quite waterlogged, splashy and maybe muddy, during the winter months. My preference would be to go for trail shoes in the winter, but road shoes will suffice in the summer. Overall the course is mostly flat but there is one small hill and a few other minor undulations to negotiate. My 2026 GPS data registered 17 metres of elevation gain in total over the 5km route.
It is fine for anybody that wishes to participate with a buggy but it may be a bumpy ride in places. From my limited knowledge I'd say this probably isn't the best course for wheelchair users. It is fine to participate with a dog, but I will note that the park is subject to a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to help reduce anti-social behaviour related to dogs. As a result dogs must be kept on leads in all areas except for the designated dog excercise zone. So providing all the dog walkers stick to the rules this should make this venue a good option for anyone nervous around loose dogs. I can report that during my 2026 visit, I saw one tiny dog off its lead. Other than that, the local dog walkers appeared to be very respectful of the rules.
The course itself is fairly easy to navigate as it is well marked with arrows, plus marshals are present at key turning points around the park. The opening stretch from the start line meanders around to the beginning of the two-lap anti-clockwise loop which is where the main bit of climbing begins. It's quite small with just a four metre rise in elevation over a stretch of about 50 metres. It then immediately drops back down over a similar distance. This first section of the loop is where the surface underfoot is at its worst with lots of uneven bits so some caution is required to avoid tripping or twisting an ankle. Once the path reaches the playground at the Clockhouse Lane end, the course bears around towards the south, passing the fishing lake.
The southern section of the course runs parallel to the train line for about 800 metres. It's a perfectly straight path which still has some bumpy parts but is in better condition than the previous section. I will note that it is marked as a bridleway and I saw the imprint of some horseshoes in the ground here, so be aware that horse riders may be present on occasion. The path leads over to the eastern side of the park where the course passes the park's second playground, the entrance to the dog exercise area and then the Motte which is a 'raised play and viewing mound'. From this point the paths tend to meander around beautifully, passing one of the lakes before reaching the end of the loop, which is then repeated a second time.
At the end of the second lap, the route breaks off of the loop and heads back down the opening straight but in reverse until reaching the finish line on the grass back at the meeting point. Barcode scanning takes place on the grass right after the finish line. I recorded the course using my Garmin and the resulting data can be viewed on my Strava account (you may need to have an account to view it). That data was then used to create a fly-by video using the Relive app. The event currently attracts between 120 and 170 participants each week, so it retains quite an intimate feel. This write-up was published after my visit on 12 September 2026 which was event number 808 and there were 137 finishers. The overall attendance record is 314 and this has stood since September 2016 (my understanding is that it was a farewell event for the former event director). If you would like to see the attendances is more detail please take a look at the event's full results history.
An interesting thing to note is that Bedfont Lakes is adjacent to Feltham Young Offenders Institution (HM Prison and YOI Feltham) which is home to Feltham parkrun. This event takes place within a closed facility, so it is only open to authorised people. An article on the parkrun website in 2023 explained how Bedfont Lakes parkrun supports their sister event by holding regular pre-loved kit donation days which can be passed onto people held within the closed facility. It was also noted that Bedfont Lakes parkrun locals (Bedfontos) also occasionally provide volunteer support.
Post-parkrun the main things there are to do in the park are walk around, enjoy the countryside feel, check out the lakes and maybe feed the swans and ducks. There is also a steady stream of aeroplanes taking off (or landing) from Heathrow Airport that can be seen to the north. The fishing lake is home to some pedalos, but there didn't appear to be anyone manning them when we were there, so perhaps they are only open seasonally. If you have kids with you they may enjoy the playgrounds; the one at the Clockhouse Lane end is nice and spacious with a reasonably good selection of apparatus. The one at the Bedfont Road end has two separate areas and includes an area for younger kids and a zip-line. The Motte is also adjacent and is a great feature to play on. I will also mention that there is a collection of the swords that were made here just down the road in Gunnersbury Park Museum, which is home to Gunnersbury parkrun.
Sadly the park does not have any on-site cafe facilities, so you would need to go elsewhere for post-event refreshments. The parkrun's webpage mentions that the team go to a Harvester called The Bulldog on the A30. We ended up getting a McPlant burger in the McDonalds next door. I will also note that there is a petrol station at the end of Clockhouse Lane that sells Greggs, Subway and Starbucks items.
The main reasons for cancellations at this venue are for weather and underfoot conditions related issues. So ice, snow or thunderstorms are the main concerns, with the most-likely cancellation reason being frozen puddles creating a slippery surface. As this park doesn't have much in the way of shade they cancelled for safety reasons in 2026 during the extreme heat. The dry extreme summers also raise the risk of grassland fires. There have also been cancellations when a section of the route was closed during maintenance works, once when a tree fell and blocked the road outside and an occasion where another event was using the park. Finally, they were asked to cancel the event in September 2022 by the landowners during the mourning period following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Overall this is a lovely country park that really feels like the countryside in London. Some of the features and parts of the footpaths could do with some maintenance. However, the parkrun event is well established and there is clearly a wonderful close-knit community here. We enjoyed our visit and a huge thanks goes to all of the volunteers and locals who made us feel so welcome.
Related Links:
- Bedfont Lakes parkrun GPS data (2013 course)
- The 2013 course Relive course fly-by video (2013 course)
- The London parkrun venues (blog7t page)
- My original Bedfont Lakes parkrun blog (2013)
