Hornchurch Country Park is a 104.5-hectare park on the former site of

Hornchurch Airfield Royal Air Force Hornchurch or RAF Hornchurch is a former Royal Air Force sector station in the parish of Hornchurch, Essex (now the London Borough of Havering in Greater London), located to the southeast of Romford. The airfield was known as Su ...

, south of

Hornchurch Hornchurch is a suburban town in East London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. It historically formed a l ...

in the

London Borough of Havering The London Borough of Havering () in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities are Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham. Th ...

, east London.

Site

The

River Ingrebourne The River Ingrebourne is a tributary of the River Thames 27 miles (43.3 km) in length. It is considered a strategic waterway in London, forming part of the Blue Ribbon Network. It flows through the London Borough of Havering roughly from n ...

passes through the park and if forms part of Thames Chase Community Forest. The most popular part of the park is to the west of the Ingrebourne, where the ground is flat and paved and frequently visited by

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

walkers. The woodland to the east of the river is somewhat inaccessible. Some southern parts of the park that reach into Rainham have been historically used as landfill. There is a fishing lake located within the park alongside many paths that connect neighbouring areas, such as

Upminster Upminster is a suburban town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Havering. Located east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is one of the district centres identified for development in the London Plan. Historically a rural vill ...

, Dagenham and Rainham. There are a number of Pillboxes and other historic installations dating from the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

to be found in the park. The park is a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade I. Almost all of it falls within the Ingrebourne Valley Local Nature Reserve, with the eastern edge forming part of the

Ingrebourne Marshes Ingrebourne Marshes are a 74.8 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering. Ingrebourne Valley Local Nature Reserve includes a small part of the SSSI west of the River Ingrebourne. The si ...

Site of Special Scientific Interest. There is access from Airfield Way/Squadron's Approach, off South End Road.

COVID-19 Memorial Woodland

At a ceremony on March 23, 2022, the Mayor of Havering joined representatives of the Council, Borough, voluntary sector and families of the deceased to officially open the COVID-19 Memorial Woodland in the south of Hornchurch Country Park. The opening ceremony coincided with the National Day of Remembrance, marking the second anniversary of the first UK Lockdown. The Memorial Woodland consists of over 4000 trees planted by volunteers, alongside sponsored memorial benches, wildflowers and a wetland area, aims to remember all those who lost their lives, the significant efforts and sacrifices of key workers and all that our communities endured throughout the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. The location of the memorial is significant as it is centrally located within the borough and acknowledges the role that our parks played in supporting the mental and physical health of our residents during lockdowns. Alongside honouring those who lost their lives during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Memorial Woodland also contributes to fighting climate change and aiding local biodiversity. For example, a

swale Swale or Swales may refer to: Topography * Swale (landform), a low tract of land ** Bioswale, landform designed to remove silt and pollution ** Swales, found in the formation of Hummocky cross-stratification Geography * River Swale, in North ...

(a shallow dry channel) was included to combat flooding in the area, a variety of trees have been planted (including berrying and flowering species) to aid birds and insects, and grass rides were incorporated to create an excess of woodland edge, the ideal habitat for butterflies.

References

Sources

External links

'Home of the woodpecker-riding weasel': Park sign makes it 'official'
{{LB Havering Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Havering Country parks in London