Top 15 Activities and Attractions in Romford, Havering, London

Traditionally part of Essex, Romford now resides in the Borough of Havering and serves as a significant commercial hub in the M25 region, just outside Central London.

Romford has a storied history of commerce dating back to 1247, when it was granted the rights to host a sheep market.

The Market Place in the town center is home to around 200 stalls operating three days a week.

In this square, the Romford Shopping Hall retains a nostalgic ambiance and features various amenities, including a haberdasher, pie shop, and butcher.

The town boasts a vibrant local theatre and museum, while its parks serve as vital community resources filled with visitor centers, cafes, and miniature railways.

Let us delve into the most noteworthy attractions in Romford:

1. Havering Museum

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A significant point of pride for the borough, the Havering Museum, located on the ground floor of the old Romford Brewery, operates entirely through volunteer efforts.

Opened in 2010 with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, visitors can explore its collections from Wednesday to Saturday. The museum details the illustrious achievements of Havering’s notable residents while illustrating the development of its diverse neighborhoods.

Exhibitions change every few weeks, covering a range of subjects such as art, crafts, science, and history, often featuring pieces loaned by local community members.

Historians are frequently invited to discuss various topics related to the borough, and “Reminiscence” sessions serve as weekly group gatherings where residents share artifacts and personal reflections.

2. Raphael Park

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This elongated park, positioned between Romford and Gidea Park along Black’s Brook, features a dammed section creating a tranquil lake.

Originally part of a country estate, the park retains landscaping designed by Sir Humphrey Repton, a prominent figure in Georgian garden design.

At the northern bank of the lake, there is a rockery that serves as a venue for the Romford Summer Theatre’s annual open-air performances, while the bandstand hosts weekend concerts during the summer months.

As a recipient of the Green Flag award, Raphael Park offers various amenities, including a cafe, restaurant, tennis courts, children’s playgrounds, while anglers have reported remarkable catches of carp from the lake.

3. St Edward the Confessor Church (Anglican)

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Romford hosts two churches of this name, and this section refers to the older Church of England building located in the Market Place.

This Grade II* listed monument was completed in 1850, occupying land that has held a place of worship since the 14th century.

The structure incorporates materials from the Quadrant on Regent Street, a design by the esteemed John Nash that underwent partial demolition in the 1840s.

This history may explain the church’s remarkable carved corbels, which portray figures such as royalty, bishops, and various motifs including a Green Man.

The interior showcases three exquisite Renaissance funerary monuments, with the most notable dedicated to the renowned Humanist Sir Anthony Cooke, located on the north wall of the nave.

4. Lodge Farm Park

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Across Main Road from Raphael Park lies the Green Flag award-winning Lodge Farm Park, which also interfaces with Black’s Brook.

This tranquil area recently earned a Silver Gilt award in the Best Park category for London in Bloom and features a border designed to attract bees and butterflies amidst a predominantly built environment of Greater London.

A new addition is the miniature railway, operated by the Havering Miniature Railway Club, which inaugurated its “Black’s Brook” station at the picnic area in 2017. This railway is a true community initiative, using railings sourced from Shenfield Railway Station in Essex.

Furthermore, Lodge Farm Park offers tennis courts, an outdoor gym, and a play area for children.

5. Brookside Theatre

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As Romford’s first and only professional performing arts venue, the Brookside Theatre is relatively new, having opened within the War Memorial Buildings in 2012. It was initially conceived as a fundraising initiative for the restoration of this historic complex but has evolved into a significant enterprise.

The theatre features a 140-seat auditorium and operates independently, having staged a diverse array of musicals, plays, live performances, comedians, and guest speakers throughout its six years of operation.

Additionally, the Brookside Theatre is home to two in-house societies that enable local residents to participate in both on-stage and behind-the-scenes production roles, while hosting regular showcases of local talent, presenting numerous opportunities for emerging artists from Romford.

6. Valence House Museum

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Although it is officially located in Dagenham, this historic manor house and free museum is accessible within a brief train ride or drive from Romford.

With Medieval roots, Valence House is still partially surrounded by a moat.

The museum houses a vast collection of around 20,000 items that convey the story of Barking and Dagenham and its residents over the centuries.

Notably captivating are the artifacts excavated from within the area, including the Bronze Age Dagenham Idol, which dates back over 4,250 years, marking it as one of Europe’s earliest representations of a humanoid figure.

Additionally, it features remarkable in-situ pieces, such as wall paintings from around 1600, discovered during a recent renovation, alongside portraits of the Fanshawe family who occupied the house during the 17th century.

The grounds also feature the Valence Park Holm Oak, a tree planted in the 1700s by the Mertinn family, which holds the distinction of being one of the Great Trees of London.

7. Romford Shopping Hall

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A longstanding landmark situated in the Market Place, Romford Shopping Hall was constructed shortly after the First World War and is easily recognizable due to its stone portico.

Inside, a range of small units house various businesses, such as butchers, haberdashers, fabric vendors, furniture retailers, antique shops, quirky gift stores, and clothing boutiques, all operating daily.

The culinary offerings represent a diverse cross-section of contemporary London life.

Among them, a traditional pie and mash shop stands out, one of the few remaining in the city, while the Sunrise Cafe specializes in Filipino and Chinese dishes.

8. Bedfords Park

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Romford is fortunate to possess stunning parks, and Bedfords Park is no exception.

Situated on a southward slope of a 110-meter hill, it offers expansive views of East London, extending across the Thames to Kent.

Dominating the park is the Round Pond, sealed by a layer of chalky boulder clay.

This park is ideally suited for visits during the early morning or late afternoon.

The area combines two Medieval estates that merged in the 18th century.

While the house was demolished following the Second World War, the park remains home to a herd of red deer and numerous exotic trees, including a Cedar of Lebanon, a giant redwood, and a monkey-puzzle tree.

The visitor center stands at the former site of the mansion and features a spacious decked terrace.

9. Hainault Forest

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Havering Borough encompasses one of the remaining sections of the Forest of Essex, a historic expanse of woodland that served as a royal hunting ground until the 14th century.

By the 19th century, the originally extensive Hainault Forest was classified as a waste area, prompting a large-scale clearing initiative.

The public outcry against this deforestation action significantly contributed to the emergence of the modern conservation movement.

Ultimately, approximately 330 acres of the initial 3,000 acres of meadows and woodland were preserved.

Visiting Hainault Forest Golf Club offers an opportunity to play a round on its 36 holes while enjoying views of Central London, while Fox Burrow Farm features an array of rare domestic breeds and even alpacas and meerkats.

10. Eastbrookend Country Park

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Strolling through this undulating parkland, located a mile south of the Romford town center, it is hard to fathom that you’re actually traversing a former landfill site.

Fortunately, the landfill has been capped with a layer of impermeable clay and transformed into a scenic landscape adorned with grasses and wildflowers adept at thriving in nutrient-poor soils.

Opened in 1995, Eastbrookend Country Park is home to the Millennium Centre, a sustainable facility that debuted two years later, combining environmentally themed exhibits with the site’s historical narrative and regeneration story.

11. The Chase Nature Reserve

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Located adjacent to Eastbrookend Country Park, the Chase Nature Reserve offers an experience reminiscent of a rural escape.

The reserve features a diverse array of habitats, including ponds, meadows, marshland, and wooded scrub.

As one traverses the park, it may come as a surprise to discover horses grazing in the meadows.

For those with an interest in botany, the Chase Nature Reserve is home to the UK’s rarest native tree, the black poplar, with six of an estimated 600 female trees recorded.

Over 200 bird species find refuge in the reserve, making it a breeding ground for lapwings, ringed plovers, kingfishers, and skylarks, while also hosting migratory species such as pine buntings, spotted crakes, and great snipes.

12. Moby Adventure Golf

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Located just five minutes from Romford town center, Moby Adventure Golf is recognized as the largest adventure golf course in the UK, featuring impressive attractions such as a 60-meter lagoon complete with a replica sailboat and an eight-meter waterfall.

One of the holes allows players to shoot into Moby Dick’s expansive mouth, while another brings them face to face with Captain Ahab in a cavern.

This course is part of the Golf Kingdom, which also includes the members-only 18-hole Cranfield Golf Club and a public driving range.

13. Upminster Tithe Barn

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Situated not far from Romford, the Tithe Barn is a 15th-century granary located in Upminster.

This impressive thatched structure measures 45 meters in length and was historically linked to the local priory associated with the influential Waltham Abbey.

Despite its longstanding title as the “Tithe Barn,” the building was never employed to collect tithes (a form of tax imposed by religious entities and landowners). Since 1976, the barn has served as the Museum of Nostalgia, showcasing a collection of 14,500 items reflecting themes of agriculture and domestic life.

The exhibits include pub signs, vintage tractors, gas masks and posters from the Second World War, early 20th-century consumer packaging, typewriters, wartime medals, and various other artifacts.

The barn opens two weekends a month, so checking the website prior to planning a visit is advisable.

14. Upminster Windmill

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Once positioned within open countryside, Upminster Windmill is a four-sail smock mill constructed in 1805, standing almost 16 meters tall.

At the time of its construction, Upminster was situated well within Essex, and by 1811, the mill had incorporated a steam engine to assist its operations.

The mill remained operational until 1934, following which the outbuildings were demolished shortly thereafter.

Regular maintenance was performed periodically, yet the structure has since remained in a state of disrepair.

However, as of 2018, the mill is undergoing comprehensive restoration due to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with plans to reopen as a significant visitor attraction in 2020. By the time this document was prepared, a new visitor center had already been completed and was routinely open on weekends.

15. Romford Market

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Romford maintains a 770-year tradition with a large outdoor market operating on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

During these days, the Market Place is bustling with around 150 permanent stalls supplemented by another 100 temporary vendors.

For many, it serves as the venue for their complete weekly grocery shopping.

Here, one can find an assortment of goods ranging from fresh produce to artisanal products, including fishmongers, butchers, and sellers offering a diverse array of items, from tea and cosmetics to pet supplies and fabrics.

Romford Market commenced as a sheep market authorized by Henry III in 1247, which legally mandated that no alternative markets could be established within a day’s sheep drive (6 and 2/3 of a mile).