“What on earth is that?” Everyone asks when you tell them about this particular one of Thurrock’s hidden gems. It’s certainly an oddity to come up against in the midst of Little Belhus woods, which are eerie at the best of times. “When I first came across it, I had
About 25 years ago, at Long Pond in Oak and Ash Wood, a small group of volunteers was clearing up litter and fallen logs. One of the ladies picked up what she thought was an old stick. It was an eel that had buried itself in the mud. Her scream
Belhus Mansion in Aveley, was built in 1576 for Nicholas De Belhus, and over the following centuries it passed into the Barrett – Lennard family. Around the time that the Mansion house was built, the Lodge, known as Little Belhus House was also built, on the edge of its gardens.
The Oak Wood and Ash Plantation are sandwiched between the M25 to the west and the post war housing of South Ockendon to the east. These woodlands are divided in two parts by the ‘Long Pond’ which starts close to the entrance in Hamble Lane and flows in a westerly
Tamarisk, Rosemary, Larkspur, Viola, Celandine, Rosemary, Mayflower, it could be a list of flowers I see on a walk around a garden. In fact they are a list of the streets I pass on my journey from Orchard Road to the shops on Canterbury Parade. This North-West corner of South
Ockendon railway station is on a single-track branch line on a passing loop out of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway, serving the town of South Ockendon, Essex. It is 18 miles and 44 chains (29.9 km) down the line from London Fenchurch Street via Upminster. This single-track line through
Sustainability and becoming an asset to the local community are central motives influencing the creation of the park.This can be best represented by two of its most obvious features – the two wind turbines, of course! Spanning 78 metres from base to tip, they provide enough renewable energy to power
The story of the invertebrates at Little Belhus Country Park is a tale that can be repeated many, many times over in Thurrock. It is a tale of nature being found in the most unexpected of places, and how the remains of industry actually helped rare wildlife to thrive. Thurrock’s
Such a mis-treated unloved wasteland of a site, how could it possibly be anything other than a problem? It certainly looked like one. The site had been used informally for many years, by people informally grazing their horses and by large groups of motorcyclists. Well, it turned out the local
In medieval times this area was known as the ‘Hamlands’ because it was used to house the pigs which produced pork for London and the surrounding areas. The progression of time gave way to changes in land use and during the 1930’s, the site started to be used for the
Thames Chase Trust, Pike Lane
Upminster, Essex RM14 3NS
01708 642970
landofthefanns@thameschase.org.uk
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