Description
Larkswood Park comprises Larkswood Playing Fields and Larks Wood, an area of semi-ancient woodland that is a remnant of a much larger tract of woodland that once included Epping Forest. The wood is on hilly ground, with fine oak and hornbeam trees, and known for its bluebells displays, which in the early C20th attracted crowds of visitors. Larkswood Park was created by Chingford Borough Council in 1936, at which time an open air pool 'with accommodation for 2,500 bathers' was provided, built on the site of Larks Farm at a cost of £24,000. Designed for racing and water polo, it was considered one of the finest open-air pools in the country and was opened on 28 July 1936 by Sir Kingsley Wood, Minister of Health. However, in 1987 the pool was finally closed.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Larkswood Playing Fields, Larks Wood |
|---|---|
| Site location | New Road/Larkswood Road, Chingford Hatch |
| Postcode | E4 |
| What3Words | ///cheeks.arts.insect |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Waltham Forest |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | See Larkswood Leisure Park for details of facilities. |
| Public Transport | Rail: Highams Park. Bus: 212, 444, W16 |
| Research Updated | 7 April 2020 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Larks Wood and Ainslie Wood were once part of the Manor of Chingford Earls, acqujired by Henry VIII in 1544. The last owner of the manor was the Boothby Heathcote family, who lived at Friday Hill House (q.v.), Larkswood was owned in c.1920 by Charles Roper, a dairy farmer who also owned Highams Park and Hale End cricket grounds. The Friends of Ainslie Wood and Larks Wood was formed in December 2004. Both woods have oak, hornbeam and the rarer wild service tree. Also some hazel, crab-apple, field maple, hawthorne, blackthorn and rowan can be seen around the woods. Larks Wood is also home to beech and a few wild cherry trees.
After the closure of the Lido in 1987, it was briefly used for other water-based activities: between August 1990 and January 1992 FantaSeas, a futuristic indoor waterpark, occupied the site until it closed with huge debts following a number of accidents. It briefly re-opened as The Hydropark, but for the next decade the site was unused and left to become derelict until it was developed as Larkswood Leisure Park. This new facility opened in 2002, with a range of sports and other recreational facilities, including swimming.
After the closure of the Lido in 1987, it was briefly used for other water-based activities: between August 1990 and January 1992 FantaSeas, a futuristic indoor waterpark, occupied the site until it closed with huge debts following a number of accidents. It briefly re-opened as The Hydropark, but for the next decade the site was unused and left to become derelict until it was developed as Larkswood Leisure Park. This new facility opened in 2002, with a range of sports and other recreational facilities, including swimming.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ379926 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 23.86 |
| Site Ownership | LB Waltham Forest |
| Site Management | Urbaser Ltd as part of the Street Care and Associated Services contract with LB Waltham Forest; Friends of Ainslie and Larks Woods |
| Dates | 1936 |
| 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 |
| Conservation Area Name | (abuts Ropers Avenue/Inks Green, Highams Park |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance I |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | Yes |
| Special Policy Area | 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
The Ropers Field Estate was laid out in the post-war period by Chingford Borough Council, a low-density development of 146 homes consisting of semi-detached houses and maisonettes. Its spacious layout and the distinctive design of the houses echo the Garden City /Garden Suburb movement. An intrinsic part of the original layout was the landscaping that remains an attractive feature of the estate: grass verges planted with ornamental street trees, generous gardens at front and rear of the properties with privet hedges along front boundaries and often between gardens, together with two areas of open space: Inks Green bowling green and the amenity green in front of Nos.64-82 Ropers Avenue. Probably conceived to recall a village green, the latter is largely surrounded by hedging with shrub beds at either end.
Ainslie Wood, together with nearby Larks Wood, is an area of ancient woodland that at one time was part of the Forest of Essex, now surrounded by suburban housing, Ainslie Wood was joined to Larks Wood until early in the C20th, privately owned and not publicly accessible until relatively recently, when its preservation became the responsibility of LB Waltham Forest. Ainslie Wood contains a number of Wild Service Trees, relatively rare in urban woodland, and an indicator of ancient woods.
Memorial Park was Chingford UDC's first municipal park, laid out on an irregularly shaped site surrounded by early C20th residential streets. The park incorporated an already existing sunken Garden of Remembrance that had been created by public subscription as a memorial to those who lost their lives in WWI. It was taken over by the UDC when they laid out Memorial Park in 1930. Facilities in the new park included tennis courts, a bowling green and pavilion. The park entrance through the original 1930s gates lead directly to the small memorial garden before the park opens out. An area of planting surrounds a pond with a fine willow, a sculpture by Jack Gardner, 'Tao Column 92', sited nearby.
