Edgware Way Grassland is a Local Nature Reserve

Local Nature Reserve

Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...

, a Site of Metropolitan Importance, in Edgware

Edgware

Edgware is an area in London, situated north-northwest of Charing Cross. It forms part of both the London Borough of Barnet and the London Borough of Harrow. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....

 in the London Borough of Barnet

London Borough of Barnet

The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...

. It is traversed by a stream and includes an unused railway embankment, and the Environment Agency

Environment Agency

The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...

's Edgwarebury Park Flood Storage Area.

The reserve is typical unimproved London Clay

London Clay

The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for the fossils it contains. The fossils from the Lower Eocene indicate a moderately warm climate, the flora being tropical or subtropical...

 grassland. Damp, herb rich areas have uncommon plants characteristic of old meadows such as great burnet, sneezewort

Sneezewort

Achillea ptarmica is a species in the genus Achillea. It has loose clusters of white, button-like flowers that bloom from June to August...

 and devil's bit scabious

Succisa pratensis

Succisa pratensis Moench, also known as Devil's-bit Scabious, is a flowering plant of the genus Succisa in the family Dipsacaceae. It differs from other similar species in that it has 4 lobed flowers, whereas Small Scabious and Field scabious have 5 lobes and hence it has been placed in a separate...

. The stream margins support dense beds of sedges and water-cress, while breeding birds include yellowhammer

Yellowhammer

The Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It is common in all sorts of open areas with some scrub or trees and form small flocks in winter....

 and spotted flycatcher

Spotted Flycatcher

The Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa striata, is a small passerine bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It breeds in most of Europe and western Asia, and is migratory, wintering in Africa and south western Asia. It is declining in parts of its range....

.

The reserve adjoins Edgwarebury Park

Edgwarebury Park

Edgwarebury Park is a large park in Edgware in the London Borough of Barnet. It was once part of the manor of Earlsbury, and the earliest reference to it is in a Royal Writ of 1216. There is still evidence of the older landscape of fields and woodland. Hendon Rural District and Middlesex County...

. It is private land, but is crossed by a public footpath from Edgware Way which starts just west of the junction with Spur Road.