Located just off the busy and bustling road of Green Lanes, behind magnificent iron gates lies one of Haringeu's most hidden and wonderful treasures. The two-acre site of Railway Fields is one of three Local Nature Reserves in Haringey. In the 1950s the site was used as a railway goods yard and even today coal can still be found on site. The council acquired the land in the early 1980s and in 1986 turned the site into a wildlife haven and environmental teaching centre for local schools. In 1990 Railway Fields was officially declared a statutory Local Nature Reserve. There is a well-designed Swiss chalet style wooden building.. There is a range of different habitats including woodland, scrub, meadow, a pond and two areas of marshland. Swings, slides and a climbing frame are all present on site. Railway Fields is renowned for its flora. Over 200 species of wild flowers have been recorded and they include the unique Haringey Knotweed discovered in 1987. 21 kinds of butterfly have been recorded over the last few years and more than 60 species of birds have been observed since Railway Fields first opened.