Havering Parks & Open Spaces

17/07/2026

10/07/2026

🦌 Meet the Bedfords Park Red Deer

The red deer herd at Bedfords Park is looking wonderful this summer, and never fails to draw admiring visitors. At this time of year, the stags are a particular highlight — their impressive antlers are still growing, covered in the soft, protective coating known as "velvet." This velvet supplies the blood and nutrients needed for the antlers to develop fully before it is shed later in the season, revealing the hard, bony antlers beneath.

Leading the herd is our magnificent master stag, Brian, easily recognised by his splendid set of antlers.

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) are the UK's largest native land mammal, and the herd here is a treasured feature of the park.

Our Country Park Rangers feed and check the deer every day, ensuring they remain healthy and well cared for throughout the year.

Next time you visit, take a moment to admire these magnificent animals — a true living highlight of Bedfords Park.

02/07/2026

🌾 Bedfords Park – Conservation Grassland Extended

Following the success of last year's conservation area, we've extended the unmown grassland in the northern fields of Bedfords Park, giving even more space for wildflowers and grasses to flourish.

The results are already visible, with swathes of common bent and lady's bedstraw establishing well across the site. The presence of these species is a good indicator that this area supports acidic grassland conditions, a habitat type that is increasingly scarce in London and supports a distinct range of plants and invertebrates.

By leaving these areas to grow throughout the summer, we allow plants to flower and set seed, providing vital food and shelter for pollinators and other wildlife.

This is part of our ongoing commitment to expanding biodiversity across Havering's parks and green spaces.

01/07/2026

23/06/2026

🌼 Wildflowers Flourishing at Rise Park

The conservation grassland at Rise Park is now bursting with colour, with a wonderful variety of wildflowers coming into bloom. Common knapweed (Centaurea nigra), with its distinctive pink-purple flowerheads, is a particular highlight at the moment, alongside hedge woundwort, mullein, and clusters of delicate white campion.

The recent rain has given everything a real boost, with lush green growth throughout the meadow and flowers appearing in greater numbers by the day. These conditions are ideal for supporting the area's pollinators, with bees and butterflies making the most of the abundant nectar sources.

Areas like this are managed specifically to encourage wildflowers and grassland wildlife to thrive, helping to support biodiversity across the borough. We'll continue to share updates as the meadow develops further over the summer.

22/06/2026

A photo's from Langton Gardens this morning. The resident Swan family taking a rest by the path. Unfortunately this meant that the male swan wouldn't let anyone past whilst they were there!

09/06/2026

🌊 Bedfords Park Lake – A Beautiful Scene
Despite the recent cloudy and unsettled weather, Bedfords Park Lake continues to look lovely.

The lake and surrounding wetlands provide a peaceful haven, with swans and their young cygnet gracefully swimming among the reeds. These moments highlight the park’s rich wildlife value and natural beauty, even on overcast days.

Improvement works, completed in 2025, saw several meters of pre-planted coir rolls and pallets installed along the banks of the lake. This has helped reduce bank erosion and has greatly boosted biodiversity.

02/06/2026

🌼 Meadows in Bloom at Havering Country Park

While Havering Country Park is best known for its ancient woodland and avenue of Wellingtonias, the park’s meadows are currently putting on a lovely early summer floral display.

Colourful wildflowers including Vetches, Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Agrimony are brightening the grassland areas, supported by the variety of grass species including Crested Dogs Tail, Sweet Vernal Grass and more. These meadows provide important habitat for pollinators and other wildlife.

This balanced management, allowing areas to grow longer while maintaining open grassland, helps support biodiversity across the park.

01/06/2026

🌸 Vibrant Flowerbeds at Raphael Park
The flowerbeds at Raphael Park are looking beautiful at the start of summer, with a wonderful display of colour.

Visitors can currently enjoy bright pink rock roses attracting busy bumblebees, striking red and yellow red-hot pokers (Kniphofia), and fragrant lavender. These colourful beds create an attractive welcome as you walk through this popular Green Flag Award winning park.

Our maintenance teams work hard to maintain these displays that providing nectar and pollen sources for pollinators while enhancing the park’s natural beauty.

18/05/2026

🌼 Conservation Grasslands at Harold Wood Park
The conservation grassland areas at Harold Wood Park are developing well this spring.

These specially managed meadows are being allowed to grow longer, encouraging a rich variety of wildflowers to establish. While the areas are not yet in full bloom, bright yellow buttercups and white Cow Parsley are already appearing and we expect the meadows to be full of colour in the coming weeks.

The taller vegetation provides important habitat and food sources for insects, bees, butterflies and birds. You can clearly see the contrast with the regularly mown areas — this balanced approach supports biodiversity while keeping the park enjoyable for everyone.

These conservation areas form an important part of our long-term commitment to protecting and enhancing biodiversity across Havering’s parks.