This 70-acre country park takes its name from the beacons that were built here during the Napoleonic Wars to warn Londoners if their enemies were attempting an invasion. Given the wide variety of plant life found here, such as oak, ash, chestnut, bluebells, dogs mercury and wood anemone, and the numerous ponds that are home to both amphibians and insects, many walkers are surprised to learn of the park’s industrial history. In the late 19th Century the EC Powder Company manufactured smokeless gun powder here.