Description
Collier Row was in agricultural use until the 1930s and the name refers to the charcoal burners who lived here when the hills beyond Romford were wooded. Soon after the area began to be developed for housing the local Council acquired land for a public recreation ground and Collier Row Recreation Ground opened in 1935. New facilities were opened in 2006 providing play areas for young children and teenagers. The River Rom runs through the park.
Practical Information
| Site location | Collier Row Road/Eaton Drive/Downham Close, Collier Row |
|---|---|
| Postcode | RM5 |
| What3Words | ///barks.mining.gentle |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Havering |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | car park, play areas |
| Public Transport | Rail: Romford then bus. Bus: 247, 252, 294 |
| Research Updated | 1 March 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Land was acquired for a public recreation ground by the local council and opened in 1935 soon after the area began to be developed for housing. Collier Row was in agricultural use until the 1930s and the name refers to the charcoal burners who lived here when the hills beyond Romford were wooded. The site links in the north to Collier Row Green Link, a narrow area of grassland running alongside the River Rom, which also runs through the Recreation Ground. New play areas were provided in 2006 for children and young people in the Collier Row area, funded by Havering Council at a cost of £100,000. The Council's Parks Service worked closely with the local community to develop the facilities. The new play area for children of pre-school age up to 12 years old contains a wide range of equipment including toddler and junior swings, a storm and nursery rhymes multi-play systems, a revolution Inclusive roundabout, a glow worm seesaw, a cockerel bounce-about, a fun trail, toadstool seats, litter bins, a bench and a picnic table. The teenage area features a large ball court for football and basketball, a teen shelter, spinning disc and relaxation seating area.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ494911 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 2.5 |
| Site Ownership | LB Havering |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1935 |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Havering |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Green Chain |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Lawns Park is on land that was once part of Collier Row Common that was enclosed in 1814. A post mill stood here from c.1810 until the 1860s; between 1846-55 it was owned by William Blakeley, who is thought to have built Lawn House from which the park takes its name, which was situated just north of the park. Collier Row, a village until the 1920s, then began to be developed. In 1931 this site was acquired by Hornchurch UDC for public recreation but it was not laid out until 1956/7. Various recreational facilities were provided. The park has good views due to its hilly site
King George's Playing Field was originally known as Mawney Park, named after the old manor of Mawneys. As Romford expanded, the Mawneys estate was sold for housing development in 1883 although the land here remained as fields, then partly allotment gardens, until 1928 when it was acquired and laid out as a recreation ground. Later Romford Borough Council received funding of £3,000 from the King George's Fields Foundation, and as a consequence it was renamed King George's Playing Field. It remains a triangular site, its boundaries little changed from those of the old fields, although the southern boundary is now the Eastern Avenue. The River Rom forms the easterly boundary of the park.
Chadwell Heath Cemetery opened in 1934, provided by Dagenham UDC, with the first burial recorded on 1 June. At that time the area either side of Whalebone Lane was rural and initially only the eastern part of the cemetery was laid out with paths, open land remaining to the west. From the entrance a short drive led to the Mortuary Chapel from where a formal layout of paths radiated, with yews planted along the 'spokes'. Further paths formed a semi-circle with the chapel on its eastern edge, the circle completed when the burial ground was extended to the west. The cemetery has been further extended, most recently to the north.
