Little Ilford Park and Webster's Land

Webster's Land, looking south

This area is a bit of a surprise - tucked away behind the unpromising welcome to the London Borough of Newham if approaching from Ilford. Along the Romford Road here - after passing beneath the flyover and access roads to and from the North Circular Road above - there are business premises on the north side shielding the Alders Brook from the main road whilst on the south side a complex of high-rise blocks and 1960s housing do not do justice to what lies behind them. At the River Roding end of the old Church Road (which itself supports a 12th Century Church - see here) lies a railing-surrounded recreation ground which is Little Ilford Park - at first sight an impressively large area of mown grassland bordered with a tarmacked path and apparently much used by joggers and exercise-walkers.

It was the trees by the border path that caught my eye, for immediately on entering the park I was confronted with a number of ornamental trees that were unfamiliar to me. One of the first that I identified was Oriental Hornbeam Carpinus orientalis and then Dombey's Southern Beech Notofagus dombeyi, next was a small Olive tree Olea europaea. London Plane has been commonly planted, and there are some fine specimens, and also noted were Rowan Sorbus aucuparia, a couple of Silver Pendant Limes Tilia petiolaris, Red Horse Chestnut Aesculus x carnea, a common Hornbeam Carpinus betula and a Paper-bark Birch Betula papyrifera.

Walking along the northern edge of the park, still adjacent to Church Road before it comes to an end, an area of rough land opens out with an introduction to 'Websters Land' presented on a Newham Council information board, on which the images were designed by pupils from nearby schools. A nice selection of the plants, birds and animals that might be found on this meadow-land is shown, and the meadow-land itself was an inviting mix of flowers, shrubs and small trees - quite colourful even when I visited in early August at a time when a lack of rainfall had dried up many areas. Webster's land - apparently relating to Lt. Col. Webster who left some land for the enjoyment of the people of Manor Park - stretches northwards away from the recreation area, bordered on the west by the housing estate and on the east by a hedgerow that shields it from the North Circular Road. It doesn't quite reach the Romford Road at its northern extent because of industrial premises hereabouts.

Around the east and west boundaries of the land, acting as a shield from the A406 and the housing estate, are numerous trees and shrubs - again mostly the results of deliberate planting as is evident in such species as Spindle Euonymus europaeus and Wayfaring Tree Viburnum lantana. These are not known as native species in the area. There are too a variety of trees present including Scarlet Oak Quercus coccinea,  White Willow Salix alba and a large Poplar, possibly Hybrid Black-poplar. Grey Poplar Populus x cansescens - as usual - is regenerating freely. Amongst the obviously seeded flower species, a specimen of Broomrape - possibly Knapweed Broomrape - Orobanche sp. was a nice find. A list of the "wildlflowers" (many originally introduced, of course) is given below.

On a visit on 10 August 2010, it was apparent that the area with its abundant flowers was a good environment for insect species. Hoverflies of a variety of species were seen on many of the flower-heads, whilst grasshoppers were common. Apart from "Cabbage" White butterflies, there were many Gatekeepers, some Meadow Browns, a few Common Blue and a Small Copper.

A list of plants in Webster's Land

Recorded in 2010

TABLE 2. Ornamental Trees in Little Ilford Park

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