Havering's largest urban park is home to a "secret garden" which was once known as the Garden for the Blind.
Harrow Lodge Park, a 130-acre green space in Hornchurch, has served the community for generations and continues to evolve while preserving its rich history.
The park offers a huge range of facilities including play areas, sports facilities and conservation zones.
Its landscape includes woodland, lakes, grassland and conservation areas, with the River Ravensbourne running through it.
One of its features is the Secret Garden or Sensory Garden, originally known as the Garden for the Blind.
This sensory garden was created in July 1961 and was designed to be accessible to visually impaired visitors.
It featured scented plants, wide pathways and a central dolphin fountain to provide a soothing soundscape.
Though the garden fell into decline over the years, it was later revived by volunteers in 2016 and renamed the Secret Garden.
The rest of Harrow Lodge Park also has a long and varied history.
Originally part of the manor of Maylands Green and Wybridge, the land was purchased by Hornchurch Urban District Council in 1936 for £16,250.
Extra land was donated by Costain, adding to the initial 42 acres.
But many of the early plans for the park were interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War.
At the time, only a portion of the park had been seeded with grass and no formal paths had been laid.
During the war, 60 acres were repurposed for intensive food production, though some leisure facilities were still developed.
A paddling pool was built in 1944 as part of the government's Holidays at Home campaign and remained popular for years after.
When food production stopped on part of the land in 1947, it was converted into two cricket pitches.
Further improvements included new playground equipment in 1951, an 18-hole mini golf course in 1952 and a boating lake constructed between 1954 and 1956.
The Hornchurch Swimming Pool, now Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre, opened in 1956.
A major recent project was completed in February 2023, restoring the park’s lakes and creating a new wildflower meadow.
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The park is also home to two play areas, multi-use games areas, a café and pedal boat hire.
It is one of 16 parks in the borough to keep its Green Flag Award for the sixth year in a row, Havering Council announced in July.
The award, managed by Keep Britain Tidy, is the UK’s benchmark standard for parks and green spaces, recognising parks that are well maintained, environmentally sustainable and safe for visitors.
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