Hainault Forest Country Park

Landscape Architect: Arkwood

Cost: £2.5m

Duration: 24 months

Completion: Summer 2023

Location: Romford

Hainault Ancient Forest and Country Park is a 225 hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest on the edge of London and one of the last remnants of the Forest of Essex that once covered hundreds of square miles of Southeast England.

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other local government sources, the park underwent extensive renovation works which aimed to enhance the unique heritage, character, and environment of the site, improve opportunities for recreation, learning and volunteering and create a financially sustainable legacy for future generations.

Following the renovation works, Hainault Country Park was voted as one of the top ten parks and most impressive green spaces in the country in the People’s Choice Awards 2023.

The construction works were carried out in a live environment using sectional working. The only section closed to the public for the duration of the project was the Farm Area, where the animals were still in situ and the animal keepers were active every day. With close liaison, works accommodated both as flexibly as possible. For the remainder of the park, diversions were implemented in collaboration with our client, utilising signage and providing early warning. The programme at Hainault Park was constantly adjusted based on weather conditions, and keeping users and other stakeholders informed was a top priority for Blakedown as the principal contractor.

Project Details:

One of the key components of the renovation was the creation of a new outdoor Adventure Play Area made from natural wood, inspired by the surrounding forest and its Tudor history as a hunting ground. This play area offers children a range of sensory experiences and play spaces to encourage physical activity, imagination, and collaboration.

Other upgrades included the enhancement of public entrances with improved surfaces, new planting, rain gardens, and statement signage. A new main entrance was created with a public space, an informal seating area, planting areas, tree planting and statement signage. New pedestrian pathways and cycleway were installed from this entrance to the new public realm area.

In the main public realm area, which houses the remodelled Victorian Barns, we resurfaced the public yards, created an alfresco area for the café, installed a new car parking area, public realm boardwalk, and new landscape terrace.

The Farm area was completely redeveloped. This included the construction of new farm and operational buildings for storage, feed prep etc.; installation of reinforced footpaths and new fencing to all animal enclosures; and the resurfacing of operational farm and visitor areas. Additionally, new areas were built for the goats (reinstating the grass and creating mounds) and the ducks (shallow clay ponds and marginal planting). We also carried out the upgrading of the farm public realm area with new planting, seating, new footpath access, new vehicular gates, and a new landscape terrace for small events.

Site wide new fences and gates were installed, sleeper steps created, public footpaths resurfaced and signage installed which included directional fingerposts, listening posts and welcome signage, sectional information panels and instructional and animal signposts.

Sustainable solutions included the use of cut and fill in the farm area; adjusting levels to minimise off-site disposal; the recycling of concrete and the segregation of waste. Existing site furniture was refurbished and repurposed where feasible and existing site structures were retained.