Description
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.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | War Memorial Recreation Ground |
|---|---|
| Site location | Chingford Mount Road |
| Postcode | E4 |
| What3Words | ///spring.beats.chop |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Waltham Forest |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 9am - half hour before sunset |
| Facilities | Children's play areas (under 7s, under 12s), tennis courts, bowling green, car park |
| Public Transport | Rail: Highams Park; Chingford then bus. Bus: 97, 212, W16 |
| Research Updated | 4 January 2021 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The Garden of Remembrance was the site of the first meeting of the Chingford Branch of the Brotherhood Movement, founded in 1923. The Movement originated in West Bromwich with the aim 'to attract men to meetings of a Christian character who otherwise found the church too remote from their daily lives' and was originally called the Pleasant Sunday Afternoon.
Adjacent to the children's play area is a children's wildlife area with sculptural features in wood. Improvements in Memorial Park in 2020 included work to paths, fencing and re-purposing of one or more tennis courts due to the impact of adjacent mature trees. In one of the disused tennis courts outdoor gym equipment has been installed together with raised planters and other green initiatives to support pollinators and other wildlife. The outdoor gym equipment was funded through LB Waltham Forest's Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL). This fund is collected by the Council from new developments within the borough, and is required to be spent on local infrastructure projects in developed areas. The views of the local community are taken into account in the decision-making process. Other parks have benefitted from NCIL funding, including Ridgeway Park and Cann Hall Park (q.q.v.).
Adjacent to the children's play area is a children's wildlife area with sculptural features in wood. Improvements in Memorial Park in 2020 included work to paths, fencing and re-purposing of one or more tennis courts due to the impact of adjacent mature trees. In one of the disused tennis courts outdoor gym equipment has been installed together with raised planters and other green initiatives to support pollinators and other wildlife. The outdoor gym equipment was funded through LB Waltham Forest's Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL). This fund is collected by the Council from new developments within the borough, and is required to be spent on local infrastructure projects in developed areas. The views of the local community are taken into account in the decision-making process. Other parks have benefitted from NCIL funding, including Ridgeway Park and Cann Hall Park (q.q.v.).
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ375924 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 3.81 |
| Site Ownership | LB Waltham Forest |
| Site Management | Urbaser Ltd as part of the Street Care and Associated Services contract with LB Waltham Forest |
| Dates | 1930 |
| 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 |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Premier Park |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
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.
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.
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.
