Description
Hainault Forest Country Park was formed from former Hainault Forest land cleared from c1853. Formerly part of Waltham Forest, its name may be a corruption of Hyneholt (community wood) referring to the practice when poor widows were allowed to gather free wood here in winter. Once part of Barking Abbey lands, it reverted to the Crown after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In 1851 2800 acres of woodland were cleared and the land then mostly used for farming, with only small areas of woodland left. In 1902/3 800 acres of woodland and farmland of Foxburrows Farm were purchased by the LCC and opened to the public in 1906. Foxburrows Farm buildings had been rebuilt in 1856 and were later converted for use for park offices and refreshment facilities. In 1939 further land was purchased to extend the public open space. Later managed by the GLC, the park became the responsibility of LB Redbridge in 1986.
Practical Information
| Site location | Romford Road, Chigwell |
|---|---|
| Postcode | IG7 4QN |
| What3Words | ///clear.onion.votes |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Redbridge |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted (part of site) |
| Facilities | Visitor Centre, fishing lake, Foxburrows Farm/Zoo, bridleways, nature trail, refreshment kiosk, 2 children's play areas. Golf course has 2 courses and driving range |
| Events | numerous events including guided walks |
| Public Transport | Tube: Gants Hill, Hainault then bus. Rail: Ilford, Romford then bus. Bus: 150, 247, 362. |
| Research Updated | 1 June 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Hainault Forest was once part of Waltham Forest and its name may be a corruption of Hyneholt (community wood) referring to the practice in winter when poor widows were allowed to gather a free load of wood here. What remains of Hainault Forest today is a fine example of old wood pasture: pasture-woodland, or wood-pasture, is an ancient shared use of the land by a local community, combining the grazing of domestic animals with the cutting of wood. It is comparable with Epping Forest (q.v.), with ancient woodland of pollarded hornbeam and peripheral secondary woodland.
Hainault Forest Country Park was formed from former Hainault Forest land cleared from c.1853. Once part of Barking Abbey lands, after the Dissolution the Crown acquired 2800 acres of woodland, which were cleared following an Act of Parliament in 1851 and the timber sold for £48,000; the land was then mostly used for farming, with only small areas of woodland left. In 1902/3 an area of 800 acres of woodland and farmland of Foxburrows Farm were preserved as a result of the perseverance of Edward North Buxton, Verderer of Epping Forest who persuaded the London County Council to purchase it, replant trees and areas of grass and heathland and open it to the public, which duly happened in 1906. Foxburrows Farm buildings had been rebuilt by the Crown in 1856 and were later converted for use as park offices and refreshment facilities. In 1939 further land was purchased to extend the public open space. Part of the Country Park is Hainault Forest Golf Course (q.v.) in the adjacent borough of Havering.
Nearby and across Romford Road to the country park is a small area comprising 14 acres of the ancient woodland that opened in 1995 as Hainault Lodge Local Nature Reserve, largely through the efforts of Redbridge and Havering Wildlife and Countryside Group. An area of woodland within Hainault Forest, known as Lambourne Common, is registered common land but is outside Greater London, within Epping Forest Council.
Hainault Forest Country Park was formed from former Hainault Forest land cleared from c.1853. Once part of Barking Abbey lands, after the Dissolution the Crown acquired 2800 acres of woodland, which were cleared following an Act of Parliament in 1851 and the timber sold for £48,000; the land was then mostly used for farming, with only small areas of woodland left. In 1902/3 an area of 800 acres of woodland and farmland of Foxburrows Farm were preserved as a result of the perseverance of Edward North Buxton, Verderer of Epping Forest who persuaded the London County Council to purchase it, replant trees and areas of grass and heathland and open it to the public, which duly happened in 1906. Foxburrows Farm buildings had been rebuilt by the Crown in 1856 and were later converted for use as park offices and refreshment facilities. In 1939 further land was purchased to extend the public open space. Part of the Country Park is Hainault Forest Golf Course (q.v.) in the adjacent borough of Havering.
Nearby and across Romford Road to the country park is a small area comprising 14 acres of the ancient woodland that opened in 1995 as Hainault Lodge Local Nature Reserve, largely through the efforts of Redbridge and Havering Wildlife and Countryside Group. An area of woodland within Hainault Forest, known as Lambourne Common, is registered common land but is outside Greater London, within Epping Forest Council.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ486929 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 121.5 |
| Site Ownership | LB Redbridge |
| Site Management | Nature Conservation Team |
| Dates | 1906 |
| Listed Structures | Local list: barns and cottages at Foxburrow, cottages and golf club entrance, cottages at Park entrance |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | Yes: Common (Lambourne Common CL41) |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Redbridge |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance I |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Heritage Land. Small area : SSSI |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Hainault Forest Golf Course is continuous with Hainault Country Park in the adjacent borough of Redbridge. Formerly part of Waltham Forest, its name may be a corruption of Hyneholt (community wood) referring to the practice when poor widows were allowed to gather free wood here in winter. Once part of Barking Abbey lands, it reverted to the Crown after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In 1851 2800 acres of woodland were cleared and the land then mostly used for farming, with only small areas of woodland left. In 1902/3 800 acres of woodland and farmland of Foxburrows Farm were purchased by the LCC and opened to the public in 1906. Later managed by the GLC, the park became the responsibility of LB Redbridge in 1986. Now leased to Hainault Golf Club, the course has two 18-hole courses, the Upper Course dating back to 1908 and the Lower Course to 1923, both designed by 5 times Open champion J H Taylor.
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.
Havering Country Park was formerly part of Havering Park, itself part of the estate of the medieval Royal Palace of Havering. Its long royal history commenced in 1066 when William the Conqueror decided to keep the manor of Havering for himself, and in 1638 Charles I was the last monarch to rest at Havering. During the Civil War the Palace was abandoned and by 1816 there was no trace of it. In 1828 the McIntosh family bought the manor and built a house, laying out a park, gardens and pleasure grounds. Leading up to the house was an avenue of Wellingtonia trees, which remains as the second largest plantation in the country. The estate was broken up after Mrs Charlotte McIntosh's death and the house demolished in 1925, although some C19th planting survives. Part was sold off in 1-acre plots, known as the Plotlands, which were popular from the 1920s-1940s, many bought by East Enders as a retreat from the inner city. In 1970 the GLC was instrumental in a Compulsory Purchase Order to clear the Plotlands for a regional public park but it was not until 1976 that the area was opened as Havering Country Park.