Town or village· Postcode RM12
Havering
Greater London, London
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90 places within 15 miles
Days out & attractions in Havering
Days out around Havering – lakes, nature reserves, museums, parks and more, including 3 in Havering itself. Each comes with a description, photo, address and map where available.
Days out
🏞️ Lakes & lochs
Days out
🌿 Nature reserves
The Chase Local Nature Reserve
Rush Green · 1.2 miles
The Chase lies on the edge of Dagenham, straddling the River Rom which marks the boundary between the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and the London Borough of Havering. Most of the site falls within Barking and Dagenham, with a smaller portion in Havering, and both councils own the land. Management is carried out by the Barking & Dagenham Parks & Countryside Ranger Service, and each borough has classified its part as a Local Nature Reserve. Together with the adjoining Eastbrookend Country Park the area is recognised as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. Formerly a gravel-extraction pit, the reserve now contains a mixture of wetland, grassland and woodland habitats. Birdlife is diverse: the River Rom supports kingfishers and a recorded total of 190 species, including skylarks, little ringed plovers and lapwings. Around three hundred green parakeets are resident, their calls becoming prominent at sunset. Mammals such as water voles, badgers and slow worms are also present, alongside great crested newts in the aquatic zones. The reserve holds six of the roughly six hundred female black poplars, Britain’s rarest native tree, and the dry acid grasslands support several uncommon plant species. Parts of the site are grazed by horses, contributing to habitat variation. Visitors can reach the wooded strip north of The Chase road via a footpath that runs from Roneo Corner, opposite Rom Valley Way, across the Havering side of the river. A second footpath follows the west bank from Dagenham Road to The Chase road. The southern, lake-rich area borders Eastbrookend Country Park and connects to Beam Valley Country Park by a footbridge over a railway line. Access is on foot; no admission charge is mentioned.
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 · 0.6 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
Havering Museum
Romford · 1.9 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.
High Street 19-21
10:00-18:00
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Upminster Tithe Barn
Cranham · 2.5 miles
The Upminster Tithe Barn is a historic building and scheduled monument located in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering, London, England. It is a medieval agricultural building originating from around 1450. It was used as a grange barn until the dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540. Passing into private ownership, agricultural use continued up until the suburbanisation of the area in the 20th century. It has been in local authority ownership since 1937. It was used to house a small museum from 1976 to 2024. As of June 2025, the building is vacant and under renovation.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Rainham Hall
Rainham · 2.5 miles
It represents one of the best-preserved medium-sized early Georgian merchant houses in England, standing in the centre of Rainham within the London Borough of Havering. The three-storey brown and red brick building was erected in 1729 for Captain John Harle and later handed to the National Trust in 1949; it remained closed to the public until late 2015 and subsequently operated as a history museum. Admission is subject to a charge. The house, listed at Grade II*, exemplifies the Dutch domestic Queen Anne style and retains many original features, such as trompe-l’œil frescoes, Delft tiles in the fireplaces and an elaborate set of wrought-iron railings whose intertwined initials of Harle and his wife Mary have been linked to the work of Jean Tijou. The surrounding estate includes a stable/coach house, a lodge and garden walls that share the Grade II* status, together with a two-acre garden that holds a recently replanted orchard of around thirty trees – one of the larger orchards in London. The National Trust highlights the close proximity of the commercial and domestic structures as a rare survival of a once-common arrangement. The site also features in contemporary culture, having been used as a location for the 2019 BBC production of *A Christmas Carol*. Visitors can explore the historic interiors, the listed outbuildings and the garden while the museum’s focus on local history reflects the building’s long association with the Harle family’s trading activities and the development of Rainham village. The nearest town is Rainham, and the property is identified on OpenStreetMap as a museum of the history type.
Broadway, Rainham RM13 9YN
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Days out
🌳 Parks & gardens
Hornchurch Country Park
Elm Park · 1.2 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
Beam Valley Country Park
Dagenham · 1.9 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
Raphael Park
Gidea Park · 2.5 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.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Pages Wood
Harold Wood · 2.5 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.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Days out
🗿 Monuments & memorials
Rainham Clocktower
Rainham · 2.5 miles
The clock-tower that dominates Rainham’s town centre serves as the community’s war memorial, standing prominently between Broadway and Upminster Road opposite the parish church of Saint Helen and Saint Giles. Constructed in 1920 from red Belgian brick with Portland-stone dressings, the short hexagonal tower bears clock faces on three sides and a sloping base on which the names of the fallen are inscribed. Cast-stone ornamentation, stone blocks engraved with “Lest We Forget”, and inscription panels add further detail, while narrow pilasters accent the angles and arches frame a niche and doorway. A parapet with balustrade caps the structure, and iron railings enclose the memorial. The monument was erected by a Mr Vinton and unveiled on 7 November 1920 by Colonel Sir Francis Henry Douglas Charlton Whitmore, who later served as Lord Lieutenant of Essex. It commemorates soldiers killed in both World Wars together with civilian casualties of the Second World War, and includes the name of Second Lieutenant Ralph Luxmore Curtis, a local World-I flying ace. Recognition of its historic value was formalised when the memorial was added to the National Heritage List for England as a Grade II listed structure on 25 March 2002, indicating national importance and special interest. The memorial is freely accessible at any time and forms the focal point for the town’s annual Remembrance Day service on 11 November, when residents lay crosses and fresh poppy wreaths around the base. No admission fee or visitor facilities are recorded, and the site can be approached directly from either Broadway or Upminster Road.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Days out
🖼️ Galleries
Days out
📸 Landmarks & sights
Upminster Windmill
Upminster Bridge · 1.9 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.
Source: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA
Days out
🛝 Playgrounds
Data: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Distances are as the crow flies from Havering.
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Seen locally on exactly this page – fairly priced, with no wasted reach.