Profile: Hither Green Triangle, A Volunteer’s Story. By Andrea Hughes
The Hither Green Triangle (HGT) Nature Reserve is situated between platforms 4 and 5 of Hither Green Station;it is sometimes referred to as the “Harry Potter nature reserve”. It is an extensive plot reaching from the station almost to Manor Lane. There is a pond- a tributary of the R. Qwaggy- mature trees and meadowland, which can be viewed from platform 5 and the footbridge.
Network Rail have licensed the HGT User Group to access the reserve from the Manor Lane entrance.
Nature’s Gym is a Nature Conservation Lewisham initiative designed to encourage Lewisham residents to volunteer in the borough’s nature reserves. Nature’s Gym join forces with the HGT User Group on 2-3 workdays a year to do practical tasks like building paths and coppicing trees.
Because of its location between the train lines, it is essential for all volunteers to be inducted into safe work practices,and tour the site wearing a hi-vis vest and steel toecap boots. Safety is the top most priority; no digging can begin until a certified user of the electric cable detector has given the all-clear. We don’t want to cut through a cable and disrupt the rail service, or more to the point, electrocute ourselves!
Background: Historically the land has been left undeveloped as a Green Corridor for wild-life. Three years ago, the now defunct social enterprise, Envirowork, cleared large trees to make a meadow area so that the seed bank could produce woodland flowers nourished by sunlight. Nick Bertram of Creekside Centre, Deptford was commissioned to write a report on the flora of the site. A work plan was produced to conserve wild life.
Andrea Hughes.Article reproduced with permission from Lewisham Gardens
UPDATE: Morgan Sindall is the engineering company which extended Platform 6 to accommodate the new longer trains from 2015. Their workers donated a days to the Nature Triangle Group building steps and carrying out some clearance work, some of the improvements are visible from Platform 5. Click link for news article and pictures.
More Information
Click here for a leaflet explaining the aims and objectives of the HGT User Group.
Details for the User Group are held on the Lee Manor Society website.
Email the Chair: ralphmailing@gmail.com