A TALE OF 2 PARKS

Nestled within a residential area of Hornchurch, lies a country park with 97 hectares of green open space and a great abundance of wildlife. The park is hugely valued by both the local community and its visitors, as it’s the perfect setting for walking, running, cycling, dog walking and recreation no matter what time of the year. Another great thing about the park is that is also offers an outdoor gym and ‘trim-trail’ which extends throughout the park. The only issue is the surrounding areas of the ‘trim-trail’ equipment are often the muddiest!

For any history buffs, Hornchurch Country Park is the former site of Sutton’s Farm airfield, from which biplanes of the Royal Flying Corps took off to defend London in World War One. The airfield later became RAF Hornchurch; fighter squadrons from Hornchurch were prominent in the Battle of Britain and the Battle of France and it became the most renowned Spitfire station in Fighter Command. As you make your way around, you will see various artefacts and relics of the site’s RAF history, such as pill boxes, Tett turrets and a Spitfire dispersal point are still visible within the park today.

At the other end of Hornchurch Country Park, by Albyns Farm, you will find Tit Lake, - where a number of ducks, moorhens, swans and more spend their days frolicking around in the water in between getting fed or interrupted by passers-by. Tit Lake has recently opened as a public fishing area; where you can find carp, roach, perch, bream, and pike. The only catch is that there is a fee involved. Head over to their Facebook page to learn more.

If you thought Hornchurch Country Park itself was big; Ingrebourne Valley covers 261 hectares of interconnecting habitats, including river, open water, marsh, grassland, ancient and secondary woodland, scrub and hedgerows and is home to London’s largest remaining continuous freshwater reed bed, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Local Nature Reserve.

Heading south from Hornchurch Country Park, you can safely venture through Ingrebourne Valley through to Ingrebourne Hill Country Park, either stopping or passing by Ingrebourne Hill viewpoint – where you will be able to see part of London’s skyline in the distance including Canary Wharf (however, these views have been obstructed by cranes in the past few years!). For the more active adventurers, be sure to bring your bike along and have a go on the tracks at Ingrebourne Hill Bike Park – essentially a mountain bike course, so don’t forget your helmet either! If you’re looking for a slightly longer trail, head east of Hornchurch Country Park around the middle intersection, where you can explore Berwick Woods and beyond!