Richmond Park in June 2026

 Photo: Amanda Boardman

Lost Waterways project – part funded by The Friends of Richmond Park Visitor Centre

The White Conduit in Conduit Wood

The Friends of Richmond Park, through funds raised at The Visitor Centre, are part funding a project related to the Lost Waterways of Richmond Park.

The project will focus on the conduits and water tunnels – researching and investigating these historic water systems. This will help The Royal Parks decide whether some of these structures could collect water for use in the park.

Most of the funds for the project are coming from the National Lottery, but the Friends contributed £30,000. The Friends contribution is significant; it demonstrated community support for the project and so helped secure the National Lottery funding.

Heathrow / 3rd runway and flight paths update

The Friends Heathrow team continues to work on the threat of future flight paths over Richmond Park. Even if the 3rd runway doesn’t happen, there will be new flight paths.

Our current work is focussed on:

  • the transfer of flight path design from Heathrow to UKADS (the new UK Airspace Design Service). We won various commitments from Heathrow and we are working to ensure UKADS does not discard them;
  • changing rules and regulations. The government has recently published a new Airports National Policy Statement (re-badged as “Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement”. As usual, we will respond if appropriate.
  • 3rd runway. As Heathrow prepares its planning application, we are seeking to ensure the environmental impact on Richmond Park is properly considered.

Friends Conservation Volunteers – clearing bracken

Before

After: Both photos: Rebecca Clark

The Friends conservation volunteers have been busy with scythes, sickles and rakes clearing bracken around newly planted young trees (whips). Asked to clear bracken growing within enclosures in Duchess Wood where young trees have been planted, the first challenge was to find the enclosures in a sea of bracken!

After finding five, they eventually located the sixth enclosure. Revealing the hidden whips, giving them light and reducing competition is the aim. Picking up ticks is a concern with volunteers checking themselves after the session. This was a rewarding task as the before and after pictures above show.

Beverley Brook after a storm

Photo: Stephen Russell

Amidst the very hot weather at the end of June, there were also some memorable storms. The storm in the early hours of Tuesday 23 June meant the Beverley Brook was flowing fast and high when our Beverley Brook litter picking team arrived. Too dangerous for their litter picking but they will return when conditions allow.