Upminster Park

Upminster Park is on former Glebe and associated with St Laurence's Church (q.v.), to the east of Hill Place, a C19th house and grounds, now a girls' school. A parish map of 1842 shows the land as fields south of the main road, between Hill Place and the Rectory, with footpaths crossing it. After WWI the need for recreational facilities was soon recognised by Upminster Parish Council to serve the growing population of Upminster as suburban development accelerated. As a result a scheme to purchase land for a new recreation ground was put forward in 1920, the site identified being the open land behind St Laurence's Church owned by the Church Commissioners, who were also keen to sell the land. A resolution was passed by the full Parish Council 'to authorise the Council to purchase the Glebe land - about 12.75 acres at a price not exceeding £3,750 for the purpose of a recreation ground'. They also wanted powers to reserve a portion of the road frontage to erect buildings as required. However, a vote at full Council in November 1920 led to the shelving of the scheme, the majority of ratepayers deeming such expenditure out of line with the urgent need for national economy.

The Glebe land remained unsold and in 1927 Upminster Sports and Social Club was in negotiation with the Commissioners to buy the land and to divert the footpath that crossed it. This sale fell through and, the land once more for sale, the Parish Council began negotiations once more with the Church Commissioners, requesting to know the lowest acceptable price, and as before seeking agreement that part of the land could be allocated for building purposes. The asking price was initially given as £6,000, the repayments estimated to add 2d to the Parish rate, and this expenditure was unanimously agreed at a Parish Council meeting on 25 March 1929. The final price agreed with the Church was £5,250. The Ratepayers Association then offered to pay for tree planting, levelling the meadow area and re-sowing grass. £8 10s 6d was raised by public subscription and trees were planted at the four gates to the new park and around the meadow, in a profusion of species. These included scarlet thorn, acacia, mountain ash, flowering cherry, silver birch, flowering almond, purple plum, Canadian poplar, birch, white chestnut, red chestnut, lime and beech. There were also older trees in the park, including numerous elm trees that later died of Dutch Elm disease.

During World War II Upminster Park was one of the few parks kept open for recreational purposes although there were underground air raid shelters constructed on the north-east side. These were demolished in 1948, and an ornamental garden was constructed in the late 1940s from monies received as compensation for this. A wartime decontamination shelter at the north entrance is now used as changing rooms. Developments and improvements to the park's amenities continued to be made throughout the 1950s, including playground equipment, tennis courts, footpaths, and planting of trees. The front field had once been used by Upminster Football Club until Havering Council decided that it should be for unorganised games. Upminster Hockey Club also had pitch on part of the park and it was said that the Club's ‘Hockey Ground is comparable with any in Essex'. The distant Upminster Windmill (q.v.) is visible from the park.

Friends of Upminster Park was formed in 2004, gaining official status in 2009. Projects undertaken since 2007 include an avenue of red oaks, a lavender border planted as a habitat for bees, and a dead tree in the park has been retained for its biodiversity value.