Description
South Park was created following Ilford Council's purchase of 32 acres of Loxford Hall Estate in 1899 and opened in 1902. It contains a large lake with several islands, formed by diverting water from Loxford Water, part of Seven Kings Brook, and the landscape has mature trees including oak, beech, lime and horse chestnut. Facilities provided included tennis courts and a bowling green with pavilion, used by Clementswood Bowling Club. The site of the bandstand remains marked by hedging and a tarmac path skirts the perimeter of the park. In 1923 the Broadway Clocktower was erected in the park, but destroyed by a WWII bomb in 1944.
Practical Information
| Site location | South Park Road/South Park Drive/South Park Crescent/South Park Terrace, Ilford, Essex |
|---|---|
| Postcode | IG1 |
| What3Words | ///exams.coherent.spots |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Redbridge |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Daily 8am-dusk (check site owner for closing time); closed Christmas Day |
| Facilities | Basketball, bowling green, children's play area, outdoor gym, 1 cricket pitch, 1 football pitch, tennis courts, toilets, fishing lake |
| Public Transport | Rail: Seven Kings. Bus: 86, 128, 129, 145, 366 |
| Research Updated | 1 September 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
South Park was created by the purchase of 32 acres of Loxford Hall Estate by Ilford Council in 1899. It was laid out in 1900/1901 at a cost of £11,000 and opened in 1902. It contains a large informal lake with several islands, which was formed by diverting water from Loxford Water, part of Seven Kings Brook. There are numerous wildfowl on the lake, which is surrounded by an undulating landscape planted with trees and shrubbery. The site of the bandstand remains marked by hedging and a tarmac path skirts the perimeter of the park, which has gothic-style gates, erected c.1900 by Hill & Smith, Brierley Hill. Facilities provided include tennis courts, and a bowling green with pavilion, used by Clementswood Bowling Club. Trees in the park include notable oak, beech, lime and horse chestnut. Between 1923 and 1944 the Broadway Clocktower was erected in South Park, moved from its original site to make way for a new tramway junction and to relieve traffic congestion. It was destroyed on 16 June 1944 by direct hit by a VI bomber. In November 2008 new outdoor gym equipment was installed, along with improvements to the tennis and basketball courts, funded by Section 106 money. By April 2011 improvements to the play area are due to be completed.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ449864 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 12.96 |
| Site Ownership | LB Redbridge |
| Site Management | Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure Ltd |
| Dates | 1902 |
| 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 | Redbridge |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance II |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Open Space |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
Ilford Burial Board, established in 1880, laid out Buckingham Road Cemetery as an extension of the burial ground of St Mary the Virgin Great Ilford and initially the cemetery was known as Great Ilford Cemetery. It had its own chapel, due to be demolished by early 2011, and the first burial took place on 4 September 1881. A memorial near the entrance commemorates Sir Peter Griggs, the 1st MP for Ilford, who died in 1920, his monument surmounted by an angel. The cemetery has notable limes, particularly on its south side with C19th railings on the west boundary.
The building of a new parish church at Ilford was under discussion in 1823 although the division of the parish of Barking was first proposed in 1650. Due to strong opposition it did not get built until 1830 when the new ecclesiastical parish of Great Ilford was created by Order in Council. The parish churchyard of St Mary the Virgin Great Ilford is now closed to new burials, but has a moderate collection of early C19th headstones and some fine lime trees. In 1863 the Vicar's wish to extend the churchyard was opposed by some parishioners. Today it adjoins Buckingham Road Cemetery, established by Ilford Burial Board in 1881 and originally known as Great Ilford Cemetery.
Seven Kings (United) Methodist Church originated in 1903 as a Society of the United Methodist Free church, services first being held in the Central Hall. The red brick church designed by George Baines & Son, has a circular spire. It opened in 1905 and was later enlarged in 1923. One of the leading members of this church was A E Williams, secretary and biographer of Dr Barnardo. The church stands in a triangular landscaped site on sloping ground surrounded by iron railings and hedging separating it from the roads or footpath at the back. The side door to the church on Seven Kings Road is reached by a cantilevered path over the steep slope of the garden.The church garden has an avenue of trees flanking the path from the gate at the apex of the triangle to the main entrance at the junction of Balmoral Gardens and Seven Kings Road. Planting includes silver birch, holly and pine trees, and shrubs including yucca at the side slopes.