Description
St Andrew's Park is named after the Hornchurch parish church of St Andrew, located to the south across the High Street. The site of the park was once part of lands held by Hornchurch Priory, later owned by St Mary College (New College), Oxford from whom 2 parcels of land were acquired by Hornchurch UDC in May 1928. Main development of the park took place after WWII and by the early 1960s it was a popular park with numerous recreational facilities including tennis courts, putting green and playground. The park was substantially restored in 2010 including construction of new paths, recreational facilities as well as new planting, with nature conservation in mind.
Practical Information
| Site location | Burnway/Belleview Road/Maywin Drive, Hornchurch |
|---|---|
| Postcode | RM11 3RR |
| What3Words | ///hints.elder.nights |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Havering |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | closed dusk |
| Facilities | Car park, playground, football, multi-use sports, junior bike riding, outdoor gym |
| Public Transport | Rail: Upminster Bridge (District). Rail: Emerson Park. Bus: 165, 193, 248, 252, 256, 370, 372 |
| Research Updated | 1 October 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
St Andrew's Park is named after Hornchurch parish church of St Andrew (q.v.) which is to the south of the park across the High Street. The site of the park was once part of land held by Hornchurch Priory. After the monastery was dissolved it was later owned by St Mary College, or New College, of Winchester in Oxford, from whom two parcels of land, 2.92 acres and 4.38 acres, were acquired by Hornchurch UDC for the park on 19 May 1928. The park, referred to as Village Recreation Ground in Council minutes, was left as a grass area for general recreation and winter sports but it was not until after WWII that development of recreational facilities began to take place. In 1947/8 two hard-surface tennis courts were laid out, with a further two grass courts converted to hard courts the following year. In 1950/51 planting at the entrance on Bellevue Road was laid out by the Hornchurch UDC's ground staff, with the path dividing either side of an ornamental bed. By the early 1960s additional playground equipment including swings, a shelter and ticket kiosk were provided. The park abuts the railway line on its north boundary, and by the early 1960s it was a popular park with numerous recreational facilities including tennis courts, putting green and playground.
The Friends of St Andrews Park were formed in 2006; a multi-use games area was added in 2008 and new areas for bulbs and wildflowers were planted in 2009. The park was restored in 2010 including construction of new paths, a junior bike riding area and outdoor gym. Areas have been planted to attract butterflies, Immediately to the north of the park is Hornchurch railway cutting which is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The Friends of St Andrews Park were formed in 2006; a multi-use games area was added in 2008 and new areas for bulbs and wildflowers were planted in 2009. The park was restored in 2010 including construction of new paths, a junior bike riding area and outdoor gym. Areas have been planted to attract butterflies, Immediately to the north of the park is Hornchurch railway cutting which is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ542875 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 3.04 |
| Site Ownership | LB Havering |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces; Friends of St Andrew's Park |
| Dates | 1928 |
| 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 | 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
St Andrew's Church still retains elements of a C13th building and is on a site where there has probably been a church since Anglo-Saxon times. Hornchurch was one of the three parishes within the Royal Manor and Liberty of Havering. In 1158 Henry II granted the church and land to the monks of St Bernard in Montjoux who built Hornchurch Priory, which survived until 1390/91. The monks' seal, a bull's head, may be why a horned bull's head can still be seen on the east exterior wall of the church, and is possibly the origin of ‘Hornchurch'. St Andrew's churchyard was for a long time the only place authorised for burial in this area and monks from Hornchurch Priory are purportedly buried here. The churchyard contains C18th headstones and its lych gate and war memorial were erected after WWI. It has been managed as a nature reserve since 1986. Beside the churchyard is The Dell, since 1965 an electricity substation but which was previously a site popular for fairs and other recreational events including prize fights.
Hornchurch Cemetery was opened by Hornchurch UDC in 1932 and has been enlarged several times since. The northern and eastern sections abut the churchyard of Hornchuch parish church of St Andrew where the majority of funeral services took place. The cemetery contains utilitarian monuments and a war memorial, and is sparsely planted although the southern section has some mature trees. It contains a separate burial ground for members of the Armed Forces, recalling the RAF Station based at Hornchurch from 1915. Between the cemetery and churchyard is The Dell, since 1965 an electricity substation but which was previously a site popular for fairs and other recreational events including prize fights.
Originally part of the same estate as Langtons, Fairkytes was built in the late C17th, with additional work carried out in the C18th and C19th. The first occupant was Job Alibone, whose son Sir Richard Alibone (d.1688) was the first Catholic to be a Justice of the King's Bench. Occupants in the C19th included Joseph Fry, son of prison reformer and Quaker Elizabeth Fry. A mound still found in the garden was built in Victorian times, apparently to enable the children of the house to see what was happening in the next door Langtons gardens. Hornchurch UDC, having acquired Langtons in 1929, then purchased Fairkytes in 1951 although its garden was not fully incorporated into Langtons pleasure garden. The Council used Fairkytes as a library from 1953 and since 1972 it has been the home of Havering Art Centre.