Description
Until 1978 Noak Hill was part of the Romford parish of St Edward, and still remains a rural area set in farmland. The church was built in 1841 as St Thomas's Chapel of Ease at the behest of Lady Frances Neave of Dagnam Park, as a closer place of worship for herself and household. Her husband was Sir Thomas Neave, Governor of the Bank of England, whose family had owned land in the area since 1788. The churchyard has a curving path bordered by flowers leading from a small iron gate to the church door. An extension to the churchyard is behind the main churchyard.
Practical Information
| Site location | Church Road, Noak Hill |
|---|---|
| Postcode | RM4 1LD |
| What3Words | ///boost.issued.fails |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Havering |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail: Harold Wood then bus. Bus: 256, 294. |
| Research Updated | 1 July 2007 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Until 1978 St Thomas's Church, Noak Hill was part of the parish of St Edward's Church in Romford, and still remains a rural area set in farmland. The church was built n Noak Hill village in 1841 as St Thomas's Chapel of Ease at the behest of Lady Frances Neave of Dagnam Park Hall who was desirous of a nearer place of worship for herself and household. Her husband was Sir Thomas Neave, Governor of the Bank of England, whose family had owned land in the area since 1788. The small red-brick church, designed by George Smith, cost £1,883 to build and was consecrated by the Bishop of London on 29th October 1842. The church has some fine windows at the east end of Flemish, French and Belgian glass of older date than the building itself; it is not known how it came to be here although it may have been procured by Sir Thomas Neave. On the south wall is a hatchment which came from the fireplace at Dagnam Park Hall. which commemorates the death of Sir Arundell Neave in 1877, below which is a memorial to Lady Frances Neave (d.1860). The churchyard is looked after by members of the congregation and has a picturesque curving path bordered by flowers leading from a small iron entrance gate to the church door. Gravestones are set in grass, and there is an extension to the churchyard through a gap in shrubbery/trees behind the main churchyard.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ541940 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.45 |
| Site Ownership | Church of England, Diocese of Chelmsford |
| Site Management | Church |
| Dates | 1841 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: St Thomas's Church |
| 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 - Borough Importance II |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Havering Ridge Area of Special Character |
| Other LA Designation | Improved Footpath Access |
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 manor of Dagenhams and Cockerels comprised 2 adjoining tenements, which after a complex history passed to the Earl of Northumberland in the C14th. The name Dagnams or Dagnam came into use in the C18th. Sold several times over the years, the manor was purchased in 1772 by Sir Richard Neave, who rebuilt the house and sought Humphry Repton's advice on landscaping the grounds. It remained in his family until 1948 when the house and 500 acres around Dagnam Park were sold to the LCC to build the Harold Hill Estate, Dagnam Park itself retained as a public park. Dagnam house was demolished in 1948 as was Cockerels house to the south, known as Dagnam Park Farm in the C19th and standing outside a moated site, part of the moat surviving today. The public park preserves its C18th boundaries, together with some of the landscaped features, specimen trees and ponds; a curving track that crosses the park follows the line of the C18th drive. Hatters Wood, Havering's largest woodland, is now within the public park.
The area was largely farmland until the 1950s when Central Park was created in order to provide facilities for the families who were moving to the LCC's newly developed Harold Hill Estate; provision of the public park was designated in the LCC's estate layout of 1947. Central Park was provided with a cricket pitch and paddling pool, and a swimming pool was later opened in 1966 in the north west. The park is overlooked by two areas of ancient woodland, Long Wood and Sage Wood, and Paines Brook, a tributary of the Ingrebourne River, runs through the park.
'Pyrgo', derived from Portegone, is found in records from the C14th, a manor on the northern edge of Havering. In 1518 it was occupied by the king's steward, passing to Henry VIII in 1541, and in 1558/9 Elizabeth I presented it to Lord Grey, uncle of Lady Jane. It had a number of private owners and by 1828 comprised 460 acres. The C16th house was demolished by 1814 and in 1851/52 a new house was built on the site of a farmhouse but demolished in 1940, although the stable block remains. In 1863 the grounds were landscaped; parts of the terraces and steps survived into the 1950s. By 1919 the estate was 824 acres, but soon after was sold off piecemeal. Pyrgo Park House was bought with 158 acres in 1925 by Herbert Mitchell who sold it to developers in 1935. Pyrgo Park is now split between three farms. Two lodges at the north and south ends of the estate remain, together with the drive from the South Lodge.