Description
Memorial Recreation Ground opened in 1897, and was the playing fields where West Ham United Football Club originated, the club also using Hermit Road Recreation Ground, before moving to Upton Park in 1904. The Memorial Ground was also the home of the East London Rugby Club. It is adjacent to the East London Cemetery, which lies on its boundary, and is overlooked by The Greenway. It remains essentially laid out as playing fields, and has an avenue of mature plane trees flanking the main north/south path, and some shrubs planted along the border. The Grassroots Resource Centre now provides community facilities in an innovatory building with an undulating turf-covered roof.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Memorial Grounds |
|---|---|
| Site location | Memorial Avenue/Ronald Avenue, West Ham |
| Postcode | E15 3DB |
| What3Words | ///both.body.landed |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Newham |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | dawn to dusk |
| Facilities | Basketball court, football pitches, changing room |
| Public Transport | Tube/Rail: West Ham. Rail: West Ham. Bus: 69, 276 |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2012 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Grassroots Resource Centre was designed by Eger Architects with Ove Arup, and is sunk into the parkland with a turf-covered roof and access via a ramp. Other proposed developments include mounded access from the Greenway, new facilities and improvements to changing rooms.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ393828 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 13.05 |
| Site Ownership | LB Newham |
| Site Management | Parks Service |
| Dates | 1897 |
| 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 | Newham |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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 East London Cemetery Company was founded in 1871 and the cemetery was laid out on flat terrain bordered on the north by the Northern Outfall Sewer Embankment, now called The Greenway. The original main entrance to the cemetery remains in place and consists of stone piers and elaborate cast iron double gates, with pedestrian entrance gates on either side; inside is a picturesque Gothic lodge, used as the office. The cemetery has a large number of historic tombs, set among mature trees and grass, with paths laid out symmetrically. Among the monuments is the memorial to the 550 victims of the paddleboat 'Princess Alice', which sank in 1878 in the Thames near Beckton, the Silvertown Explosion of 1917 that led to 73 deaths is also commemorated in a monument.
The site for Hermit Road Recreation Ground was purchased by John H. Bethell, Mayor of West Ham and then MP, later Baron Bethell of Romford, who was a major influence in ensuring that public parks were provided as part of the development of the area. The land was purchased with the aid of private subscriptions and the MPGA also assisted with the purchase and provided 24 seats. The park was opened in May 1899. The original layout featured a tree-lined north-south axis with a bandstand in a central circular area, from which a tree-lined path ran to the south-west corner; a perimeter walk with trees and shrubs encircled the park. Seats, a drinking fountain, refreshment room, shelter and swings were added and by 1939 a bowling green, tennis courts and playground existed in the northern section. The park was extended in its northern corner, and here a small ornamental rose garden was created to commemorate Daisy Parsons, Mayor of West Ham in 1936.
Abbey Gardens is a community garden built on the site of a row of cottages, once the site of the C12th Stratford Langthorne Abbey. Beneath the garden are the remains of the gatehouse of the Abbey. The community garden was set up by a group of local residents in 2006 with the aim of rescuing the derelict site from vandalism. They set up the Friends of Abbey Gardens, now a charity, which continues to run the project.
