For more information on understanding and enjoying the borough's green spaces, please visit the links to the left.
Countryside and conservation
For more information on understanding and enjoying the borough's green spaces, please visit the links to the left.
Horticultural standards
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Local Agenda 21
Biodiversity Action Plan
What is biodiversity ?
Biodiversity refers to the broadly diverse forms into which organisms have evolved and is considered at three levels:
Genetic diversity: Variation in genes enabling organisms to evolve and adapt to new conditions.
Species diversity: The number, types, and distribution of species within an ecosystem.
Ecosystem diversity: The variety of habitats and communities of different species that interact in a complex web of interdependent relationships
Want to know more about biodiversity ?
The UK Biodiversity website aims to support the implementation of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and the partnership involved in biodiversity conservation. Central to this, their website will support communication to share best practice and develop better ways of working throughout the biodiversity community.
How can you help?
If you live or work in Havering there are many ways that you can help, such as by managing part of your garden for wildlife, by supporting local wildlife conservation groups, or by getting involved in environmental projects.
Phase 1 April 2003
Biodiversity Action Plans (or BAPs) identify the opportunities and threats for wildlife and help to target everyone's efforts where they will do most good. Local Biodiversity Action Plans can concentrate on species and habitats that are characteristic of an area, as well as those that are under threat regionally or nationally.
Havering has wildlife and wild places to be proud of. As an outer London Borough encircled by Green Belt land, Havering is custodian of countryside and wildlife that is important not only for those that live and work in the borough but for many other Londoners as well. The Havering Wildlife Partnership, consisting of wildlife organisations active in Havering, wildlife experts and Council staff, has drawn up plans to look after the regionally important habitats and species, as well as others that are important in local terms.
Havering's Biodiversity Action Plans in Summary: The Species
Havering supports a number of unusual animals of regional or national importance as well as some more familiar ones that have special significance locally.
Havering's Biodiversity Action Plans in Summary: The Habitats
With its mixture of built-up areas and open country, Havering has a wide range of habitats some of which, such as grazing marsh and reedbed, are very important for London as a whole.
Please click on the links below to read the summaries of the action plans for the species in Havering. These include contact details for the organisation and person who is taking the lead on each.
The Havering Wildlife Partnership
What does the partnership do?
The Havering Wildlife Partnership has been formed to put together a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) for Havering - a blueprint for looking after all of Havering's wildlife, not only in nature reserves and in the countryside but in parks and gardens and urban areas as well.
The Partnership, working closely with Havering Council within the Local Agenda 21 programme, consists of representatives of conservation organisations active in the Borough, Havering Council officers, and experts on local wildlife.
The Partnership is committed to working with local residents and other partners, such as government agencies, landowners and local businesses, to organise practical action that translates the plan into real gains for Havering's wildlife.
At the London-wide level, the London Biodiversity Partnership is producing a London Biodiversity Action Plan. Volume 1 identified 20 habitat and land use types that cover the majority of areas where bio-diversity could be enhanced. Volume 2 is the first round of habitat and species action plans. The next round of action plans are due to be published at the end of 2001. Click here to visit the London Biodiversity Partnership.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity refers to the broadly diverse forms into which organisms have evolved and is considered at three levels:
- Genetic diversity: Variation in genes enabling organisms to evolve and adapt to new conditions
- Species diversity: The number, types, and distribution of species within an ecosystem
- Ecosystem diversity: The variety of habitats and communities of different species that interact in a complex web of interdependent relationships
Want to know more about biodiversity?
The UK Biodiversity website aims to support the implementation of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and the partnership involved in biodiversity conservation. Central to this, their website will support communication to share best practice and develop better ways of working throughout the biodiversity community.
Useful links
The Biodiversity Resource Center at the California Academy of Sciences
The Business & Biodiversity Resource Centre
How can you help?
If you live or work in Havering there are many ways that you can help, such as by managing part of your garden for wildlife, by supporting local wildlife conservation groups, or by getting involved in environmental projects.
Walking to Health Initiative
It enables people to discover and enjoy new local green space areas whilst benefiting their health and increasing the environmental stewardship of Havering's parks and open spaces.
A programme of regular walks operate on five days of the week and all walks are lead by a fantastic team of trained volunteer walk leaders.
The programme of walks are suitable for beginners as well as the more experienced walkers and a monthly heritage walk has been introduced. People enjoy the social aspect of the walk and report that they feel safe in the company of others. Many comment that they have discovered places in Havering of which they never new existed!
The scheme is part of a national initiative, a partnership between Natural England and the British Heart Foundation. It also benefits from extra funding from the Big Lottery. For further information please see programme and venues or contact or telephone 01708 432889.
Local Nature Reserves
Click on the links below to get to the Local Nature Reserve you are interested in:
Ingrebourne Valley
The Manor
The Chase
Cranham Brickfields
Cranham Marsh
Bedford's Park proposed Local Nature Reserve
Rainham Marsh proposed Local Nature Reserve
Management and maintenance
Ingrebourne Valley Local Nature Reserve
Ingrebourne Marshes with cattle grazing. Photograph by Les Harrison.
Hornchurch contains the largest continuous area of freshwater reed bed in London which is designated as The Ingrebourne Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest. The site is home to water voles and a fantastic diversity of birds including waders such as redshank and lapwing or you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a hobby flying high above with the swifts in summer, a water rail skulking in the reedbeds or even the vivid blue flash of a kingfisher. In spring and summer listen out for the manic warbles of a sedge warbler or the explosive sound of the cetti's warbler. Throughout the winter ducks such as gadwall, teal and pochard are in residence at the marshes, escaping the colder winters of the far north.
Grey Heron. Photograph by Les Harrison.
Next to The Marshes and also part of the Local Nature Reserve is Hornchurch Country Park which has a fascinating legacy of past use as a key airfield during both world wars. You can see many of the Airfield's remaining features along the Eastern Pathway, starting at the Squadrons Approach Car Park, including aircraft dispersal bays, gun emplacements, tech-turrets and pillboxes. The Ingrebourne Valley Local Nature Reserve also has links with other publicly accessible sites including Berwick Glades and Ingrebourne Hill owned by the Forestry Commission and Berwick Woods owned by Tarmac Construction.
Access: The Ingrebourne Valley Greenway - a 4km hardened pathway suitable for bicycles, pushchairs and wheelchairs running through the site from Hornchurch Stadium, north of Hacton Lane, to Albyn's Farm in Hornchurch Country Park. There are also a number of informal pathways throughout the site.
Parking: Two main car parks off Hacton Way and Squadrons Approach.
Getting There: Entrances to the site are off Hacton Lane and Squadrons Approach.
Special plants and animals: Extensive reedbeds and wet grassland, golden dock, scarce emerald damselfly, redshank, reedbunting, lapwing, yellow wagtail, tufted duck, reed warbler, sedge warbler, cuckoo.
Other Information: Hornchurch Country Park leaflet (see Downloads).
Contact: Hornchurch Ranger Service. Tel: 01708 554451. Ingrebourne Valley Community Development Officer. Tel: 01708 432959. Ingrebourne Valley Project Manager. Tel: 01708 432874.
The Manor Local Nature Reserve
Birds-foot-trefoil or eggs & bacon!
This amazing site in Harold Hill which includes Hatters Wood, Fir Wood, Duck Wood and Dagnam Park offers a diversity of different wildlife habitats. The site includes almost twenty hectares of colourful wildflower meadows, over eight hectares of ancient coppiced woodland, ponds, scrub and veteran trees. Not only that but the site also preserves a fascinating historical record which stretches back into the Middle Ages. Dagnam park, formally laid out by the well known Victorian landscape architect Humphrey Repton, preserves its original 18th century boundaries together with a number of original landscape features including copses, ponds and specimen trees. Look out for mature conifers, horse chestnuts and cedar. The site of the original house is now overgrown, but a line of yew trees survives in woodland close to the spot where 19th century cast-iron gateposts flank the former drive. There is also a scheduled ancient monument, Cockeralls moated site (of Dagnam Park Farm), in the south of the site - now a well known breeding pond for great crested newts. There is also evidence of medieval field patterns and see if you can spot the medieval road running along the sites eastern boundary!
View over Dagnam Park
The nature conservation interest in Dagnam Park, Hatters Wood and Fir Wood is recognised in its designation by the Greater London Authority as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. Nearby Duck Wood is also designated as a site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation.
Total Size: 68 Hectares.
Access: There is a 700m hardened pathway suitable for bicycles, pushchairs and wheelchairs running through Dagnam Park. Duck Wood also has a circular hardened pathway approximately 1km in length.
Parking: One main car park off Settle Road in the south of the site.
Getting There: From Lower Noke Close there is a pathway leading to Dagnam Park. There is pedestrian access to Dagnam Park at entrances from Settle Road and Sedgefield Crescent. There is an entrance to Hatters Wood from Tring Close. Access to Duck Wood can be made from Sheffield Drive.
Special plants and animals: Ancient woodland, wildflower meadows, wild service tree, small leaved lime, bluebell, great crested newt, veteran trees, common spotted-orchid, square stemmed St Johns wort, fine-leaved water-dropwort, skylark, yellowhammer, hawfinch.
The Chase Local Nature Reserve
Native Black Poplar
The Chase, can be found in the west of the Borough on the border with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. The site can be accessed in Havering off Upper Rainham Road. The reserve is managed by the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham Ranger Service in partnership with London Wildlife Trust. Amazingly this diverse Local Nature Reserve beside the River Rom was formerly a site of gravel extraction. It now comprises a marvellous mosaic of wildlife habitats ranging from horse grazed pastures to woodland and wetland. Shallow pools support a rich aquatic plant life and attract numerous waterfowl and long-legged wading birds. The dry acid grasslands also support some unusual rarities. Areas of hawthorn and blackthorn scrub and secondary woodland add further habitat diversity and tall herbaceous vegetation beside the river attract breeding warblers and the shy water rail. Over the winter you might catch a glimpse of a snipe, camouflaged in the long grasses, or the eye catching vivid green of a teal. All in all a staggering hundred and ninety different species of birds have been recorded here in the past fifty years. Not only that but the site is home to water voles, harvest mice and rare native black poplar trees.
There is a visitor centre (Millennium Centre) and the site attracts many visitors for education and informal recreation. The Barking & Dagenham Parks and Countryside Ranger Service organise a wide range of events, activities and guided walks throughout the year and the London Wildlife Trust run volunteer workdays 3 days a week based from the Millennium Centre. Access to Eastbrookend Country Park and Beam Country Park can also be made from the Chase.
Total Size: 45 hectares.
Access: The site is not wheelchair accessible. There are a number of informal pathways through the site.
Parking: Car parks are off Dagenham Road and the Chase near Visitors Centre.
Getting There: Footpath from Roneo corner adjacent to the YMCA, footpath off Rainham Road, footpath off Dagenham Road.
Special plants and animals: Wildflowers including warty cabbage and hare's-foot clover, breeding and over-wintering birds including lapwing, little ringed plover, little grebe, yellowhammer, skylark, overwintering snipe, teal breeding warblers and water rail.
Contact: The Millennium Centre, The Chase, Dagenham Road, Rush Green, Romford, RM7 0SS. Tel: 020 85954155
Website: www.lbbd.gov.uk
Cranham Brickfields Local Nature Reserve
Cranham Brickfields is a real gem, containing an outstanding array of different wildlife habitats within a postage stamp sized nature reserve. What's more, the site is also designated by the Greater London Authority as a Grade I Site of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation. There's a good sized pond here, wildflower meadows, scrub, look out for briar rose, and woodland. Spring and summer are a great time to visit when the meadows are in flower and the scrub creates song posts for a great variety of migrant birds.
Common blue butterfly
The site has had a number of past uses. Not only has it been used for excavating clay to make bricks but it has been a football pitch, it was cultivated for food during the main war effort, and at one time there was a boating lake here! The site is good for all kinds of recreation including sports or walking the dog. It is a peaceful oasis on the edge of Cranham. The site also has the potential for school visits for wildlife studies.
Total Size: 8.5 Hectares.
Access: The site is not wheelchair accessible. There is open access over the entire site.
Parking: There is a small car park in the north west corner of the site.
Getting There: There is a public right of way running through the site from Sunnycroft Gardens to St. Mary's Lane.
Special plants and animals: Dyer's greenweed, pepper saxifrage, slow worm, common lizard, stag beetle, butterflies and great crested newt.
Cranham Marsh Local Nature Reserve
Cranham Marsh is a special place, within Cranham Conservation Area, designated by the Greater London Authority as a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation which recognises the value of its wildlife interest. The site comprises a fantastic mixture of semi-natural habitats including marsh, sedge fen, damp meadow and wet woodland (believed to be ancient). The site is a great place to visit to get away from the town centre.
Meadow Brown Butterfly
There is enough here to keep you interested for a leisurely stroll around or it has links to a wider network of Public Rights of Way for a longer walk. The woodland is in three parts and contains some of the most magnificent and possibly the largest ash trees in the whole of Essex. The marsh and meadows contain an amazing diversity of wildflowers some of which are extremely rare in London and south Essex. The site is managed by the hard work and support of volunteers from Essex Wildlife Trust. Practical habitat management is undertaken over the winter including coppicing, maintaining ditches, dams and ponds, hedgelaying and scrub clearance.
Total Size: 13 hectares.
Access: The site is not wheelchair accessible. There is an informal pathway around the site.
Parking: There is no car park for the site.
Getting There: There are a number of public footpaths going to the site from Ockendon Road, Argyle Gardens, Huntsmans Drive and The Chase.
Special plants and animals: Southern marsh orchid, fine-leaved water-dropwort, golden dock, fen bedstraw, yellow loosestrife, small sweet-grass, reptiles, great crested newt, water vole.
Other Information: Cranham Marsh leaflet (see Downloads).
Contact: Essex Wildlife Trust, Joan Elliot Visitor Centre at Abbotts Hall Farm, Great Wigborough, Colchester, Essex, CO5 7RZ. Tel: 01621 862960. e-mail: admin@essexwt.org.uk Website: www.essexwt.org.uk
Bedford's Park Proposed Local Nature Reserve
Bedford's Park has it all. It's great for recreation, wildlife watching or admiring the views over the capital and it's got an impressive history too. Two manors have existed on this site since 1362 and the existing landscape preserves some of the associated features including exotic trees such as monkey-puzzle, cedar of Lebanon and giant sequoia. Other remnants of the past include a planted horse chestnut avenue, the original steps from the old house and the red brick walls of the walled garden.
Bedfords Park Visitor Centre
The site has an amazing diversity of wildlife habitats including extensive areas of both acid and wet grassland, oak-hornbeam woodland, old hedgerows and ponds. The woodlands are well worth a visit in springtime when they are carpeted with an abundance of bluebells. The grasslands support many characteristic plants restricted to old pastures including an abundance of pignut, betony, the delicate mauve flowers of devil's-bit scabious, sharp-flowered rush, pepper-saxifrage and the curiously named sneezewort. These grasslands are also the perfect place to go mini-beast hunting. At the ponds there is a fantastic diversity of dragonflies and damselflies, with twenty-two species having been recorded here. Breeding birds include hobby, jackdaw, sparrow sized lesser spotted woodpecker and nuthatch which can often be seen spiralling down trees.
Ox-eye daisy in wildflower meadows
There is a visitor centre at the site, managed by Essex Wildlife Trust who run regular events for families and children.
Total Size: 87 hectares.
Access: The visitor centre, toilets & car park are fully accessible to disabled visitors. The site itself is not wheelchair accessible. There are a number of informal pathways throughout the site.
Parking: There is a car park and visitors centre with refreshments at the end of the main driveway off Broxhill Road.
Getting There: By car the main driveway off Broxhill Road. There are two footpaths entering the site off Lower Bedfords Road.
Special plants and animals: Bluebells, pepper-saxifrage, sneezewort, small red-eyed damselfly, hobby, lesser spotted woodpecker, invertebrates.
Visitor Centre: Essex Wildlife Trust, Bedfords Park Visitors Centre, Broxhill Road, Havering-atte-Bower, Romford, RM4 1QH. Tel: 01708 748646. e-mail: bedfords@essexwt.org.uk
Rainham Marsh Proposed Local Nature Reserve
View over Rainham Marsh
This site is set to become another Local Nature Reserve for the Borough. The site is designated as part of the Inner Thames Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest and not only does it preserve a wealth of wildlife but this is combined with a surprising history dating back to time when the Celts and Saxons used the marshes for summer grazing. Even to this day there is a farmer still grazing cattle on Purfleet marshes at the other end.
The grasslands, fringing reedbeds and network of ditches here support a number of rare plants, insects and birds and are also home to a large population of water voles. In summer listen out for the reed and sedge warbler or large flocks of lapwing overhead during the winter.
Purple Loosestrife
Access: The site will shortly be accessible via the Rainham to Purfleet path. This is a hardened pathway - approximately 5km - suitable for bicycles, pushchairs and wheelchairs which currently leads from the RSPB visitors centre at Purfleet to the site.
Parking: There are two car parks located off Coldharbour Lane.
Getting There: To the east of Coldharbour lane.
Special plants and animals: Plants including golden dock, scarce emerald damselfly, water voles and birds including lapwing, sedge and reed warbler.
Local Nature Reserve maintenance and management
With the exception of Cranham Marsh, The Chase and Rainham Marsh, Havering Borough Council's Parks Service are responsible for the management and maintenance of our Local Nature Reserves.
Contact: Parks and Open Spaces, The Whitworth Centre, Noak Hill Road, Harold Hill, Essex, RM3 7YA. Tel: 01708 434743. e-mail: parks@havering.gov.uk
Environmental Strategy is based within Havering Borough Council. We work in partnership with other departments and organisations to promote and improve access to and enjoyment of Local Nature Reserves in Havering.
Contact: Environmental Strategy, 9th Floor Mercury House, Mercury Gardens, Romford, RM1 3RX. Tel: 01708 432873. e-mail: environmental.strategy@havering.gov.uk
Wildlife boost as two new nature reserves open
These exciting developments are supported by Havering Council, Essex Wildlife Trust and local residents. The sites have been chosen because of their special interest and for their potential for giving local people of all ages more opportunities to have contact with nature. The sites will also benefit from better protection, more access to external funding and a commitment by the Council to maintain the sites' special interest.
The new additions are already popular with locals who use them for walking and informal recreation. The sites are great for wildlife, with important habitats such as woodlands and wildflower meadows, and for animals including bats, great crested newts and water voles. Local nature reserve designation will help to ensure that the features of special interest are protected for future generations.
Cranham Marsh is currently managed in partnership with hard working volunteers from Essex Wildlife Trust.
Three local nature reserves already exist in Havering – the Manor, Harold Hill covering Dagnam Park and Duck Wood; the Chase, Rush Green; and Ingrebourne Valley covering Hornchurch Country Park and the adjacent marshes and designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Come and get your hands dirty!
To help you find out more about the new local nature reserves two opening events have been lined up:
Cranham Marsh on Sunday 30 November, 10am to 3pm
Cranham Brickfields on Sunday 14 December, 10am to 3pm
You can have a chat with conservation specialists, go on a guided walk or try your hand at conservation activities. Light refreshments will be available.
We're also planning a series of practical volunteer projects where you can spend a day outside in pleasant surroundings and let off steam while helping to improve habitats for local wildlife. These days are organised in partnership with Essex Wildlife Trust, and tools, training and refreshments will be provided. All you need to do is turn up in some old clothes, bring your enthusiasm and not mind getting dirty! Everyone is welcome, but children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Projects will be held between 10am and 3pm on the following dates:
Cranham Marsh:
Sunday 30 November * Thursday 11 December * Sunday 28 December * Thursday 8 January * Sunday 25 January * Thursday 12 February * Sunday 22 February * Thursday 12 March * Sunday 29 March
Cranham Brickfields:
Sunday 14 December * Sunday 11 January * Sunday 8 February * Sunday 8 March
For further information contact Benjamin Sanderson, Countryside Projects Officer, Environmental Strategy, Mercury House, Mercury Gardens, Romford RM1 3RX, tel: 01708 432873, e-mail: benjamin.sanderson@havering.gov.uk
Easter Egg-stravaganza at Bedfords Park
You'll be able to try out the trails and guided wildflower walks, find out about Easter crafts, indulge yourself in preserves & pickle tasting, and treat the children to face painting. Most activities are free apart from a £3 per child donation for the trail and Easter crafts.
During the day you'll also be able to find out more about the exciting plans to declare the park a Local Nature Reserve. These are places that are of special interest locally and where people of all ages can enjoy coming into contact with nature. With the Local Nature Reserve designation comes better protection and potentially more opportunities for external funding.
Havering Council's Countryside Team are organising the day in conjunction with
Essex Wildlife Trust and the
Friends of Bedfords Park.As part of the Easter Sunday event we'll be asking people what they think about the proposed Local Nature Reserve declaration. Bedfords Park is already a popular site with local residents and school groups who visit regularly for walking, informal recreation and events put on by Essex Wildlife Trust who manage the visitor centre. It's a great place to see wildlife, with important habitats such as woodlands and wildflower meadows and animals including bats, great crested newts and a huge variety of dragonflies and damselflies in summer.
In Havering we already have five Local Nature Reserves - The Manor at Harold Hill covering Dagnam Park and Duck Wood; The Chase at Rush Green; The Ingrebourne Valley covering Hornchurch Country Park and the adjacent marshes; and most recently, Cranham Marsh and Cranham Brickfields in Upminster.
For further information contact:
Benjamin Sanderson
Countryside Projects Officer
Environmental Strategy
Mercury House
Mercury Gardens RM1 3RX
Tel: 01708 432873
e-mail: benjamin.sanderson@havering.gov.uk