Neighbourhood in Dagenham
Beam Park
Greater London, London
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Seen locally on exactly this page – fairly priced, with no wasted reach.
90 places within 15 miles
Days out & attractions in Beam Park
Days out around Beam Park – lakes, nature reserves, museums, parks and more, including 7 in Beam Park itself. Each comes with a description, photo, address and map where available.
Days out
🏞️ Lakes & lochs
Days out
🌿 Nature reserves
Crossness Nature Reserve
Belvedere · 1.9 miles
Covering 25.5 hectares on the historic Thames floodplain, Crossness Nature Reserve lies in the Crossness area of the London Borough of Bexley, close to Belvedere. The site forms part of the Erith Marshes Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation and represents one of the few remaining grazing marshes in London. Its landscape includes the borough’s largest reedbeds, a network of ponds and ditches, scrub and rough grassland. Recorded wildlife comprises around 130 bird species, a notable water-vole population, several rare invertebrates such as five water-beetle species and the nationally scarce Shrill Carder bee, together with plants like Borrer’s saltmarsh grass and frog rush, which was once thought extinct in Kent. The reserve was created in 1994 under a Section 106 planning agreement and is owned and managed by Thames Water, with day-to-day stewardship provided by the RSPB. A Friends of Crossness Nature Reserve group assists with the care of protected zones that are not publicly accessible. The western perimeter abuts the Crossness Sewage Treatment Works and the northern edge borders a Cory-operated waste-management facility. Between 2005 and 2011 the Belvedere Green Links project invested one million pounds in restoring the southern marsh and related infrastructure, funded by the Homes & Communities Agency, the European Regional Development Fund and the Greater London Authority, with Bexley Council as a key stakeholder. In the early 2020s a proposal by Cory for a carbon-capture installation covering roughly 11 % of the reserve was approved in November 2025 despite local opposition.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Ingrebourne Marshes SSSI
South Hornchurch · 1.9 miles
The largest stretch of freshwater marsh within Greater London extends along both banks of the River Ingrebourne in Hornchurch, forming a 74.8-hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest. Managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust, the site contains extensive reed sweet-grass, common reed swamp, wet neutral grassland and tall fen, supporting a notable range of invertebrates and breeding birds. Sixteen nationally scarce species of flies, beetles, dragonflies and crickets have been recorded, together with two Red Data Book species – the hoverfly *Anasimyia interpuncta* and the scarce emerald damselfly *Lestes dryas*. Sixty-one bird species breed regularly, including common redshank, northern lapwing and reed-warbler, while common cuckoos are known to parasitise reed-warbler and sedge-warbler nests. Havering Council has intervened by raising water levels and re-introducing grazing to maintain the wetland’s condition. Public entry is limited to the eastern strip that runs from the river to Berwick Pond Road, where the reservoir at Berwick Pond is open for fishing and can be viewed from Hornchurch Country Park. The remainder of the marshes is largely closed to visitors, although sections are observable from the park’s perimeter. Access points are provided from Hornchurch Country Park and from Berwick Pond Road; no admission charge is mentioned, and facilities are confined to the existing park infrastructure.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Days out
🏛️ Museums
RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre
Havering · 2.5 miles
The former RAF Hornchurch sector station, now presented through the RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre, lies in the parish of Hornchurch within the London Borough of Havering, southeast of Romford. Designated as a history museum, the centre offers insight into the airfield’s evolution from its origins as Sutton’s Farm during the First World War to its closure in 1962. Visitors can trace the development of the site from the 1915 establishment of the London Air Defence Area, when the landing ground first hosted BE2c aircraft, through its re-opening in 1928 as a key fighter station defending London and the Thames corridor. Exhibits illustrate the succession of squadrons that operated from the field, including 39 (Home Defence) Squadron, 78 Squadron and later units that took part in the Battle of Britain and the Dieppe Raid. The centre highlights the actions of pilots such as Lt William Leefe Robinson, VC, and Lt Wulstan Tempest, DSO, whose interceptions of enemy airships are commemorated in local street names. Displays also cover the airfield’s role in cross-channel operations, the deployment of barrage balloons in 1944, and its final use as a marshalling base. The heritage centre is listed on OpenStreetMap as a museum of historical type, with Havering identified as the nearest town for visitors planning their journey.
Suttons Lane 119,121, RM12 6RU
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Eastbury Manor House
Thames View · 3.1 miles
A substantial Elizabethan residence survives in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, where Eastbury Manor House stands as a Grade I listed museum. The building occupies land that once formed part of the demesne of Barking Abbey and lies close to the Thames View area of Greater London. Ownership rests with the National Trust while day-to-day management is provided by the borough council; the house welcomes visitors for ten months each year. Construction began in the 1570s after merchant Clement Sisley acquired the former abbey lands. Contemporary records note brickwork bearing the dates 1572 and 1573, and dendrochronology places the timber roof in 1566, indicating a rapid build-up. The house was probably the first brick structure locally, featuring glass windows that may have been imported from Italy and unusually high chimneys, both signs of its original wealth. A later tradition links the house to the Gunpowder Plot, although no documentary evidence supports the claim. Following a period of decline from the late eighteenth century—during which the Great Tower Staircase was removed by 1814 and original flooring and fireplaces disappeared in the 1830s—only the west wing remained habitable by the nineteenth century’s end. The National Trust purchased the property in 1918, restored it, and opened it as the Museum of Barking in 1931. After being listed in 1954, the house benefited from Heritage Lottery Fund-backed restorations, the most recent completed in 2010, which added a permanent exhibition detailing the building’s architectural evolution and succession of owners.
Eastbury Square, Barking IG11 9RY
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Crossness Pumping Station
Belvedere · 1.9 miles
Valence House
Becontree · 2.5 miles
Days out
🌳 Parks & gardens
Beam Valley Country Park
Dagenham · 1.2 miles
Spanning 74 hectares, Beam Valley Country Park lies in Dagenham within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, bordering the River Beam and the Wantz Stream. The site is split between two Local Nature Reserves: the main Beam Valley area and a narrow strip south of Western Avenue that falls under the Environment Agency’s remit. Both sections are also recognised as Grade 1 Sites of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, one positioned north and the other south of South Dagenham Road. Visitors encounter a mosaic of habitats, including mixed woodland, open grassland, and the remnants of former gravel pits that give the landscape a varied character. The ground that now hosts the park was once derelict, yet archaeological traces reveal human activity back to the Stone Age and a Roman pottery kiln, indicating long-term use of the area. A range of birdlife inhabits the waterways and surrounding scrub, with species such as kingfishers, reed warblers, reed buntings and skylarks regularly recorded. In 2014 a pedestrian and cycling bridge, erected by Sustrans, linked Beam Valley to the neighbouring Bretons Manor across the River Beam, improving access for walkers and cyclists. The nearest town is Dagenham, and the park is reachable via local road networks that skirt the River Beam. Admission is not specified, and facilities are not detailed in the available material.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Hornchurch Country Park
Elm Park · 1.9 miles
Covering 104.5 hectares, the former Hornchurch Airfield now serves as a public green space in the London Borough of Havering, situated south of Hornchurch and close to Elm Park. The River Ingrebourne runs through the site, forming part of the Thames Chase Community Forest, and the western side of the river offers flat, paved ground that attracts regular dog walkers. To the east, woodland is less reachable, while the southern reaches, extending towards Rainham, bear the legacy of former landfill use. A fishing lake lies within the park, and a network of paths links the surrounding districts of Upminster, Dagenham and Rainham. Remnants of the Second World War, including several pillboxes, are scattered across the area, providing a tangible link to the site’s military past. Designated as a Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation, Grade I, almost the whole park falls within the Ingrebourne Valley Local Nature Reserve, with its eastern fringe forming part of the Ingrebourne Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest. In the southern sector, the COVID-19 Memorial Woodland was planted by volunteers, featuring more than 4 000 trees, commemorative benches, wildflowers and a wetland zone. The woodland was formally opened on 23 March 2022 during the National Day of Reflection, an event attended by the Mayor of Havering and local representatives. Access is provided via Airfield Way/Squadron’s Approach off South End Road, the park is operated by Havering Council and opening times are published on the council’s listing. Admission details follow the borough’s standard public-park policy.
24/7
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Days out
🗿 Monuments & memorials
Days out
🏺 Archaeological sites
Days out
🛝 Playgrounds
Data: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Distances are as the crow flies from Beam Park.
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More to explore in Beam Park
News, events, offers and more – all from Beam Park and the surrounding area.
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Seen locally on exactly this page – fairly priced, with no wasted reach.