Paddington Green

Paddington Green and St Mary’s Churchyard is a small conservation area in inner London, north of the Harrow Road (A40 Westway). The site, within the London Borough of Westminster, is listed as a grade II site of borough importance. It is managed by the City of Westminster's Parks Service.

Address: Nearest postcode W2 1LG (http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=526700&Y=181775&A=Y&Z=106 Map:]; OS grid reference TQ267817)

History
Paddington Green contains part of the ancient site of Paddington and Lilestone Villages. This area became fashionable at the end of the 18th century, when it was still on the edge of the countryside but had good transport links to the West End. Today, the conservation area is centred on St Mary’s Gardens, which was formerly a burial ground for the 18th century St Mary's Church but was turned into a public garden in the late 1890s. The southern part of the churchyard was removed when the A40 Harrow Road flyover was built. (A number of graves were exhumed and the remains re-interred at the City Council's Mill Hill Cemetery.)

Paddington Green originally formed part of the Maida Vale Conservation Area. It was designated a separate conservation area in 1988.

Habitat
Paddington Green is a small green space with scattered mature London Plane trees shading over much of the area. The grass is managed as short turf, with a few common wild flowers. A hedge of native species has been planted.

Planting along the interface with the A40 Westway includes Whitebeam, Holly, Hornbeam, Lime and ornamental Maples. To the west, this planting continues with Field Maple and Hazel. The grass contains a surprising diversity of wild flowers, including Germander Speedwell, Self-heal, Cut-leaved Crane's-bill, Cat's-ear, Lesser Trefoil and Yarrow.

St Mary's Gardens consists mainly of open grassland with scattered trees, including a fine Weeping Ash, along with London Plane, Lime and False-acacia. Mosses and ferns have colonised the west wall and the tombstones stacked against it. Ferns include Male Fern, Bracken, Hart's-tongue, Wall Rue and Black Spleenwort. (This is the only known Westminster site for the last two, both of which are scarce in London.)

Species
Birds

Peregrine are regularly seen over Paddington Green. Other raptors include Sparrowhawk and the occasional Kestrel and Hobby, while large birds of prey such as Common Buzzard and Red Kite occasionally pass high overhead. Herring Gull breed in a local rooftop colony and other gull species may overfly the site. Grey Wagtail are regularly seen, with Pied Wagtail occurring less commonly. The site also regularly attracts Goldfinch. During migration, warblers and hirundines pass through the site and in winter it may be visited by Redwing and the occasional Fieldfare.

According to London WildWeb, birds nesting in and around the site include Blue Tit, Starling, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Chaffinch, Dunnock and Kestrel.

Other vertebrates

Information needed, please

Invertebrates

Information needed, please

Practicalities
Directions

The nearest stations to the site are London Underground’s two Edgware Road stations (one on the Bakerloo line, the other in the Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines). Paddington and Marylebone stations (mainline and underground) are also close. Buses passing close to the site include routes 6, 16, 18, 98 and 414.

Access

There is free public access to the site.

Facilities

Information needed, please

''Based on a design already developed by another user of this website (thanks), this page has been put together by The Phantom Birder in recognition of Des McKenzie’s dedication to birding on Paddington Green. Any additions and corrections will be welcome.''