Hatfield Heath

Chigwell Row Wood

Chigwell Row · 14 miles

Chigwell Row Wood is a 14.1 hectare Local Nature Reserve in Chigwell in Epping Forest district, Essex. It is owned by The Chigwell Row Recreation Ground Charity, of which the district council are the trustees, and managed by council staff and volunteers.

Raphael Park

Gidea Park · 16 miles

A stretch of green lies north of the railway line that runs between Romford and Gidea Park, forming part of a chain of parks that run in that direction. The southern gateway opens onto Main Road – once called Hare Street – while the northern entry sits just south of the A12 Eastern Avenue. Along the western edge the park follows Black’s Brook, which was dammed before the park’s creation to produce Black’s Canal, a lake ranging from 12 to 20 ft in depth. The dam sits beside the eighteenth-century Black’s Bridge, which still carries Main Road across the water. Within the grounds the lake supports angling, and a bandstand occupies the southern sector. Near the lake’s far end a rockery provides a setting for the Romford Summer Theatre. The open area expands eastwards to hold football pitches in winter, cricket pitches in summer, and sunken tennis courts whose level reflects historic sand extraction for nearby housing. A children’s play area, remodelled in 2009, lies north of the courts; the site previously held water known locally as the “Spoon Pond”. Two ancient pedunculate oaks, recorded by the Woodland Trust, survive among the mature woodland and grassland. The park takes its name from Sir Herbert Raphael MP, who presented the land to Romford Urban District in 1904, and it features a statue of Percy the Park Keeper, inspired by a real keeper who worked here. Admission is free and the park is accessible from both Main Road and the A12 frontage.

Pages Wood

Harold Wood · 16 miles

Pages Wood is a 74 hectare wood and public park in Harold Wood in the London Borough of Havering. It is the largest Forestry England site in the Thames Chase Community Forest, and 100,000 trees have been planted since it opened in 2002. It also has meadow areas, 6.5 kilometres of footpaths and 2.2 kilometres of bridlepaths.

Havering Museum

Romford · 16 miles

The former Ind Coope Romford Brewery now accommodates a local museum that records the history and artefacts of the five towns forming the London Borough of Havering. Situated in Romford, the building is one of the few remaining reminders of the area’s brewing past and offers separate displays for Havering-atte-Bower, Hornchurch, Romford, Rainham and Upminster. Visitors can explore the permanent exhibition as well as temporary shows that illustrate the borough’s development. The museum originated from the initiative of local historian Ian Wilkes, who established the Friends of Havering Museum in 2000. After a partnership with the borough council in 2008 and a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, the museum opened its doors in May 2010. It is entirely volunteer-run, with a core team of around 30 people handling collections, education, front-of-house duties and administration, supported by interns. Facilities include a Learning Zone and an Exhibition Room at opposite ends of the building, both available for school groups and community organisations, and a small shop selling related items. Opening times are published on the museum’s listing, and the venue is self-funded, relying on donations and volunteer effort. Access is straightforward from Romford town centre, and the museum provides a modest space for learning and local heritage.

Highams Park Boating Lake

Highams Park · 16 miles

The lake, created in the early 19th century when landscape gardener Humphry Repton redirected the River Ching, forms the water-centre of Highams Park in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Repton’s 1793 plan turned a flood-prone site into the present lake, which later became part of the grounds of the Manor of Highams – a house built in 1768 and subsequently used as a Crimean-War hospital before becoming Woodford County High School for Girls. The water feature was opened to the public in the late 19th century and now lies within the larger parkland that borders Woodford Green and the Highams Estate. Boating has been a long-standing activity on the lake, with an “old boathouse” serving the community for more than a century. The building is currently leased from the Corporation of London by the Waltham Forest South District Scouts, who have restored it for use by local sailing clubs. Historically the lake hosted child-size Flies built by club owner Ken Ford and larger yachts such as the Moth IV; a 1970s appearance on the BBC programme *Blue Peter* highlighted a large yacht being lifted from the boathouse for a sea transfer. Recent engineering reports have classified the lake as a Category A reservoir, prompting plans to raise the dam while preserving Repton’s landscape design. The lake is identified on OpenStreetMap as a natural water feature near the Highams Park neighbourhood, and can be reached on foot from the surrounding residential area. As a public amenity, it does not require an admission charge, and the adjacent park provides open access for walkers and visitors.

Upminster Windmill

Upminster Bridge · 17 miles

A smock mill of considerable age stands on the edge of Upminster Bridge, its four-storey tower and single-storey brick base dominating the local skyline. Designated a Grade II* listed building, the windmill was erected in 1803 for James Nokes of Hunt’s Farm and originally drove three pairs of millstones with four common sails. Over the following decades steam power was introduced, the number of millstones expanded to six, and the mill passed through the hands of the Nokes and Abraham families before being acquired by the county council in the late 1930s. A 35-year lease was granted to the Upminster Windmill Preservation Trust in 2004, and a restoration programme between 2016 and 2023 returned the mill to working order and added a visitor centre. The structure comprises a 52-foot-high smock on a brick base, a boat-shaped cap with an external gallery, and a six-bladed fantail that automatically turns the cap into the wind. Four patent sails are mounted on a cast-iron windshaft, and the internal machinery drives four pairs of millstones – three of French Burr and one of Peak – by wind alone. The visitor centre, built alongside the mill during the recent restoration, is open to the public at selected times, allowing guests to view the restored sails and learn about the mill’s engineering. Access is via the surrounding footpaths; no admission fee or on-site car park is mentioned in the available information.