Description
Small public park probably laid out in the 1980s when the adjacent housing estate of Dells Close was built. However, prior to this it appears to have existed as a playing field, marked as such on the 1960 OS Map. The park today is largely laid out for children's play, and following improvements to its facilities it was relaunched in an event in which local children participated.
Practical Information
| Site location | Drysdale Avenue |
|---|---|
| Postcode | E4 7NL |
| What3Words | ///manage.fend.rats |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Waltham Forest |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 9am - 30mins before sunset |
| Facilities | Under 7s and under 12s play areas, outdoor gym, basketball court, 5-a-side football facilities and hard court area. |
| Public Transport | London Overground: Chingford. Bus: 215, 379 |
| Research Updated | 21 June 2021 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ378950 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.4071 |
| Site Ownership | LB Waltham Forest |
| Site Management | Grounds maintenance by Urbaser Ltd as part of the Street Care and Associated Services contract with LB Waltham Forest |
| Dates | 1980s? |
| 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 | Waltham Forest |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
Gallery
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
This small public garden, comprising bedding plants and areas of clipped grass bordered by low fencing, provides a landscaped setting for the Chingford War Memorial. The granite memorial in the form of a Celtic cross on a tapered shaft stands in a paved area within the garden, set on an octagonal paved base. It was designed by W A Lewis and commissioned by public subscription in order to commemorate the 242 local men who fell in WWI. Chingford War Memorial was unveiled on 24 September 1921 by Lord Lambourne and the Bishop of Chelmsford. The memorial was later inscribed to commemorate those who lost their lives in 1939-1945 as well as in later conflicts, both military and civilian personnel. The lettering on the memorial and the landscaping were restored in 2019.
The Church of St Peter and St Paul was built on Chingford Green in 1844 to replace the old Chingford Parish Church of All Saints situated a little distant on Chingford Mount, which had by then fallen into a state of decay. The church and its surrounding graveyard are on former forest land, but it is now in the centre of Chingford and surrounded by roads. The churchyard is well planted with trees including holm oak and lime, and the area around Chingford Green retains some sense of its former village atmosphere.
Epping Forest is all that remains of the once extensive Forest of Essex that became the Royal Forest of Waltham, and is now a tenth of its size in 1641. Enclosure took place as farming and housing encroached, with the loss of commoners rights. Although a protest by commoners was staged in 1817, by the 1870s the Forest was much reduced. When the Corporation of London purchased land for its cemetery at Little Ilford in 1855 this brought commoner status; in 1871 the Corporation began proceedings against the various Lords of the Manor with interests in the Forest who wished to enclose it. This resulted in the Corporation's purchase of all the remaining areas and the 1878 Epping Forest Act conveyed ownership and responsibility to the Corporation. On 6 May 1882 Epping Forest was opened by Queen Victoria, who dedicated it 'to the enjoyment of my people for ever'.
