Description
Rise Park was created through the benefaction of Cllr Thomas England, who was instrumental in various public improvement schemes in the borough between the two world wars. He had the notion of creating a green corridor from Romford to Havering Atte Bower and in 1937 donated land for the creation of Rise Park to connect Raphael Park and Bedfords. Various recreational facilities included a pool and playground, a toilet pavilion and tennis courts, and sports pitches were laid out. The park opened to the public in 1937.
Practical Information
| Site location | Rise Park Boulevard off Beauly Way/Dee Way/Lower Bedfords Road |
|---|---|
| Postcode | RM1 |
| What3Words | ///agent.neat.dance |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Havering |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | closed at dusk |
| Facilities | car park, cricket, football, tennis courts |
| Public Transport | Rail: Romford then bus. Bus: 103 (walk) |
| Research Updated | 1 February 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The park was created through the benefaction of Thomas England, a local trader and Councillor who was instrumental in various public improvement schemes in the borough between the two World Wars. He had the notion of creating a green corridor from Romford to Havering Atte Bower and in 1937 donated 23.5 acres of land for the creation of Rise Park to connect Raphael Park (q.v.) and Bedfords Park (q.v.). In the 1960s the Romford Official Guides were able to promote a long distance walk through 4 Council-owned parks, including Lodge Farm Park, Raphael Park, Rise Park and Bedfords Park, from the centre of town to open countryside and Havering Ridge.
Various recreational facilities were provided including a pool and playground to the west of the entrance on Beauly Way with a toilet pavilion and tennis courts to the east. Sports pitches for football and cricket were laid out and the park opened to the public in 1937. Along the western boundary runs Black's Brook, with a path alongside it, the park becoming a strip of land leading northwards to Lower Bedfords Road to the north of which Bedfords Park begins. Adjacent to the east is Havering and Risebridge Golf Course. The park has mature oak trees and woodland areas; in the 1960s ornamental and forest trees were planted.
Various recreational facilities were provided including a pool and playground to the west of the entrance on Beauly Way with a toilet pavilion and tennis courts to the east. Sports pitches for football and cricket were laid out and the park opened to the public in 1937. Along the western boundary runs Black's Brook, with a path alongside it, the park becoming a strip of land leading northwards to Lower Bedfords Road to the north of which Bedfords Park begins. Adjacent to the east is Havering and Risebridge Golf Course. The park has mature oak trees and woodland areas; in the 1960s ornamental and forest trees were planted.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ515908 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 9 |
| Site Ownership | LB Havering |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1937 |
| 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 | Havering |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Local Importance (part: Rise Park Stream) |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| 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
Bedfords Park comprises land formerly belonging to the manors of Bedfords and Earls (or Nerles); the name may derive from a C14th landowner. In 1452 one-time Lord Mayor of London Sir Thomas Cooke bought and amalgamated both manors for farming, the land remaining in his family for c200 years. Subsequent owners expanded the estate and in 1865-7 the C18th manor house was enlarged and surrounding hilltop planted as gardens with exotic trees, some of which remain, as does a horse chestnut avenue and part of the walled garden. The last owner sold part of the estate in 1920 and in 1933 his widow sold Bedfords to Romford UDC, who initially opened the house as a museum and café. Used during WWII by the National Fire Service and as a base for home defence, the 1950s saw rapid decay and vandalism and it was demolished in 1959, now the site of the visitors centre. Remnants of the original steps from the house can still be seen. To the south the deer park remains; a red deer herd was first established here in 1934.
Lawns Park is on land that was once part of Collier Row Common that was enclosed in 1814. A post mill stood here from c.1810 until the 1860s; between 1846-55 it was owned by William Blakeley, who is thought to have built Lawn House from which the park takes its name, which was situated just north of the park. Collier Row, a village until the 1920s, then began to be developed. In 1931 this site was acquired by Hornchurch UDC for public recreation but it was not laid out until 1956/7. Various recreational facilities were provided. The park has good views due to its hilly site
Raphael Park is the western section of former landscaped grounds of Gidea Park Estate, now surrounded by suburban development. The Elizabethan Gidea Hall, which stood to the east of today's park, was rebuilt in 1720 by Sir John Eyles, who incorporated the moat into a formal layout of canals with the house at the centre of radiating avenues. A long canal called the Spoon Pond or Canal survives, now dry and laid out with tennis courts. In the late C18th, the park was enlarged and re-landscaped less formally and the lake or serpentine canal and a new bridge were built, now called Black's Canal and Black's Bridge after the C19th owner. In 1897 the estate was purchased by Herbert Raphael; in 1902 he gave the Canal and 15 acres of gardens to Romford UDC for a public park. Spoon Pond and further land was added, and Raphael Park opened to the public in 1904, its Lodge at the main entrance of that date. Other remnants of the earlier landscape include the sites of the former Vineyards and Pleasure Ground and there are a number of mature trees.