START - Tylers Common Car Park (Nags Head Lane) T A12 H 1 Exit at the southern end of the car park and cross Nags HAROLD COURT ROAD

Head Lane into Harold Court Woods. Follow the A N bridleway as it winds left and right.

lllllllll- M 2 At the T junction turn right. After 200yds there P is a path on your left (opposite a bench). Take 3 this if you wish to see Harold Court House E TREE CIRCLE

(approx 400 yds there and back). Continue HAROLD COURT WOODS along the main path, round the bend by the S benches and pond. Take the right fork through the car park. C Harold Court H 3 On exiting the car park, cross Harold Court Road, turn left passed A K the gate, signposted Thames Chase (Harold Court Woods). After Woods S L 50yds on your right is the 'Tree Circle'. Take the right fork and HAROLD E WA continue along the main path. As you go round the bottom bend COURT HOUSE look out for an '‘the semi circular seat’ through a gap on your right. Continue until you come to the barrier. Turn right through the Wyevale gates, signposted bridleway 279 to Shepherds Hill/cycle way 136. 2 Garden Centre Follow the bridleway for approx 800yds until you reach Shepherds Hill. HAROLD COURT WOODS

4 Turn left at Shepherds Hill and cross the road at the toucan crossing. Enter Pages Wood and after 50yds take the left BLEASEND FARM P fork and follow the main path downhill with the pylons on your left for approx 3/4 mile. If you wish to visit the 1 Tylers Common commemorative stone, by the first pylon there is a path on your left leading to Hall Lane. Take this path, cross Hall Lane and walk back up to IVY LODGE LANE SEMI CIRCULAR SEAT the junction with Shepherds Hill/Warley Road. Turn HAROLD COURT WOODS right and walk up Warley Road for approx 1/4 mile. At the last bungalow, the stone is just behind the front wall. Return the way you came. The walk continues downhill with the pylons to your left for around half a mile.

5 At the bottom follow the bridleway round to your right. NAGS HEAD LANE The path runs adjacent to the on your left. After approximately 1 mile you will pass the entrance to Park. Carry on following the footpath round to your right. After approx 400yds you come to a 'crossroads', turn left and follow the LODGE FARM COMMEMORATIVE STONE footpath back up to Shepherds Hill. 4 BUTTERFLY IN PAGES WOOD WARLEY ROAD 6 6 Exit via the gate, turn right and cross the road via SHEPERDS HILL the toucan crossing. Turn left walk a few TYLERS COMMON STONE yards back up the road, then turn right following the path marked Bridleway Tylers Common 279/cycle way 136 to Harold Court Commemorative Stone

H honours a victorious

Road. Go passed the houses and A

L court case in 1951 won through the gate and continue along L

L by local campaigners to the bridleway. After approx 800yds A N retain Tylers common as go through the gate and turn E common ground. right passing the barrier into Harold Court Woods. After approx 400yds, take the bridleway Pages Wood on your right signposted Tylers Common and

follow it until it H meets Nags Head Lane. HORSE RIDING IN PAGES WOOD PAGES WOOD A

Cross the road back to L L

L

Tylers Common A N

car park. E 5 FINISH - Tylers Common Car Park (Nags Head Lane) BUILDINGS

NOTES P FARM BUILINGS If you wish to visit Wyevale Garden TREES/HEDGES Centre where there are cafe and toilet facilities (open daily 9-5, FARMLAND Sundays 10:30-4:30), walk along the GRASSLAND grass verge from the entry/exit to MARSHLAND Harold Court Woods. - - - - - ROUTE BRIDGE IN PAGES WOOD I I I I I I RAILWAY As this is a circular walk, it can also start/end at either the car park in Harold Court Woods or Pages Wood.

E

S M

C

A

H

Thanks for information from Tony Benton's History Site History Upminster Benton's Tony from information for Thanks

intervals, where they still remain. still they where intervals, H Education committee of of committee Education

A completed there in 1884 and extended at regular future future regular at extended and 1884 in there completed

1960 it was sold to the the to sold was it 1960

Nag's Head Lane site. Their new sewage works were were works sewage new Their site. Lane Head Nag's T

change of use when in in when use of change

S actions the authority agreed in 1882 to buy part of the the of part buy to 1882 in agreed authority the actions

There was a further further a was There

Authority to remove the sewers from his land. After legal legal After land. his from sewers the remove to Authority

E

contract, and ordered the Billericay Rural Sanitary Sanitary Rural Billericay the ordered and contract,

Brentwood Group. Group. Brentwood

Crompton refused to take over Preston’s sewage disposal disposal sewage Preston’s over take to refused Crompton

hospital in the the in hospital

Harold Court estate and other lands occupied by Preston. Preston. by occupied lands other and estate Court Harold

sanatorium became a a became sanatorium

Harold Wood Hospital, he had become the owner of the the of owner the become had he Hospital, Wood Harold

after world war two the the two war world after W

Harold Wood in 1877. Living in The Grange, later part of of part later Grange, The in Living 1877. in Wood Harold

Service came into being being into came Service

John Crompton had taken over the development of of development the over taken had Crompton John

the National Health Health National the

sis sanatorium. When When sanatorium. sis

A Australia. to family his taking - tuberculo county's the

bankrupt in 1881 and seems to have fled the country, country, the fled have to seems and 1881 in bankrupt

1918 when it became became it when 1918

proved financially disastrous for him. Preston absconded, absconded, Preston him. for disastrous financially proved

Warley asylum until until asylum Warley L

an unpleasant stench for miles around, but they also also they but around, miles for stench unpleasant an

annex to the main main the to annex

adjoining Harold Court. Not only did his operations cause cause operations his did only Not Court. Harold adjoining

ued to be used as an an as used be to ued K

30 acres of land which he leased in Nag's Head Lane, Lane, Head Nag's in leased he which land of acres 30

- contin Court Harold

town's sewage. His solution was to spread the sewage on on sewage the spread to was solution His sewage. town's

is an engraving in Wilson's 1881 history. history. 1881 Wilson's in engraving an is male inmates and in 1911 there was 72 male lunatics. male 72 was there 1911 in and inmates male

the local authority to dispose of the the of dispose to authority local the

following year. No photographs survive of the mill but there there but mill the of survive photographs No year. following of inmates gradually rose and the 1901 census shows 67 67 shows census 1901 the and rose gradually inmates of

Brentwood, Preston contracted with with contracted Preston Brentwood,

employing one man, but the mill was taken down the the down taken was mill the but man, one employing lines. In 1892, 44 male inmates took up residence. Number Number residence. up took inmates male 44 1892, In lines.

main drainage system being laid in in laid being system drainage main

Manning was the last miller there, shown in 1881 as as 1881 in shown there, miller last the was Manning by telephone to Warley along the Great Eastern Railway Railway Eastern Great the along Warley to telephone by

a turn for the worse. Following a a Following worse. the for turn a

nearby Harold Court, seems to have acquired it. Samuel Samuel it. acquired have to seems Court, Harold nearby accommodation for the inmates. This annex was connected connected was annex This inmates. the for accommodation

style, but in 1871 his fortunes took took fortunes his 1871 in but style,

Pinchon had sold it, and William R Preston, the owner of of owner the Preston, R William and it, sold had Pinchon system and other works to provide more suitable secure secure suitable more provide to works other and system

Preston continued to live in some some in live to continued Preston

descendants still owned the mill in 1846. By 1875 David David 1875 By 1846. in mill the owned still descendants managed the works.The conversion work installed a water water a installed work conversion works.The the managed

Despite the initial lack of success success of lack initial the Despite

1778 William Pinchon was the miller there and his his and there miller the was Pinchon William 1778 vacant Harold Court for £3,100 in 1891.Dr Amsden Amsden 1891.Dr in £3,100 for Court Harold vacant

buried in the churchyard and certainly it existed in 1670. In In 1670. in existed it certainly and churchyard the in buried The County Lunatic Asylum’s committee bought the the bought committee Asylum’s Lunatic County Essex The

Harold Wood. Harold

of Upminster, miller, was was miller, Upminster, of

to Colchester, which took the name name the took which Colchester, to

when Thomas Dawson Dawson Thomas when “there are no insuperable objections” objections” insuperable no are “there

Lane on the main line from London from line main the on Lane

have existed in 1665, 1665, in existed have main asylum at Warley three miles away he concluded that that concluded he away miles three Warley at asylum main

Company in 1868 also aimed to build a station in Gubbins Gubbins in station a build to aimed also 1868 in Company

high brick base, and may may and base, brick high the need for a telephone or telegraph to connect with the the with connect to telegraph or telephone a for need the

town. A contract with the Great Eastern Railway Railway Eastern Great the with contract A town.

was a post-mill on a a on post-mill a was sewage disposal, which was still spread over local fields, and and fields, local over spread still was which disposal, sewage

with the unsuccessful aim of building a new new a building of aim unsuccessful the with Company

Pages Farm (see map). It It map). (see Farm Pages ran near the house. Despite reservations about the lack of of lack the about reservations Despite house. the near ran

300 acre Gubbins Farm to form the Harold Wood Estate Estate Wood Harold the form to Farm Gubbins acre 300

north of the road facing facing road the of north every floor but there was no gas supply and no gas pipes pipes gas no and supply gas no was there but floor every

comprised some 87 acres. In 1866 Preston bought the the bought Preston 1866 In acres. 87 some comprised

of Gaynes Common, Common, Gaynes of said there was a bathroom on the first floor and a W.C. on on W.C. a and floor first the on bathroom a was there said

replacement for the former Good House Farm which which Farm House Good former the for replacement

stood on the south side side south the on stood favourably on Harold Court.suitability in August 1890. He He 1890. August in Court.suitability Harold on favourably

developer. Preston’s new home of Harold Court was a a was Court Harold of home new Preston’s developer.

James Nokes in 1803, 1803, in Nokes James lunatics with three attendants. Dr Amsden’s reported Amsden’s Dr attendants. three with lunatics

a Brentwood solicitor, farmer, and speculative land land speculative and farmer, solicitor, Brentwood a

existing Mill was built by by built was Mill existing Asylum’s Committee needed a suitable premises for 50 50 for premises suitable a needed Committee Asylum’s

style for the Ilford born William Richard Preston, who was was who Preston, Richard William born Ilford the for style

known before the the before known After standing vacant for a year, Essex County Lunatic Lunatic County Essex year, a for vacant standing After

The house is of white stock brick and built in an Italianate Italianate an in built and brick stock white of is house The

Upminster Mill, as it was was it as Mill, Upminster

Harold Court to the new premises. new the to Court Harold

Harold Court Court Harold

opposite side of the road. road. the of side opposite Cottage Homes. In 1889 the children were moved from from moved were children the 1889 In Homes. Cottage

in 1846 and 80 acres became part of Pages Farm on the the on Farm Pages of part became acres 80 and 1846 in Harrow Farm, to build the St Leonard’s Leonard’s St the build to Hornchurch Farm, Harrow

the tenants of Gaynes Manor. It was enclosed by agreement agreement by enclosed was It Manor. Gaynes of tenants the children in the care of Shoreditch Union who then bought bought then who Union Shoreditch of care the in children

the west of Nags Head Lane and provided grazing rights for for rights grazing provided and Lane Head Nags of west the Harold Court continued in use as the home for 120 120 for home the as use in continued Court Harold

and often shown on maps as Upminster Common, was to to was Common, Upminster as maps on shown often and partnership between the two Boards dissolved in May 1885 1885 May in dissolved Boards two the between partnership

Gaynes Common, sometimes also known as Mill Common, Common, Mill as known also sometimes Common, Gaynes use as a children’s home for 84 children. When the the When children. 84 for home children’s a as use

children and Harold Court was temporarily pressed into into pressed temporarily was Court Harold and children

branch of Brentwood College of Education. Education. of College Brentwood of branch needed premises to house and educate their pauper pauper their educate and house to premises needed

the Essex County Council, and from 1963 it housed a a housed it 1963 from and Council, County Essex the In 1882 the Shoreditch Board of Guardians with Hackney Hackney with Guardians of Board Shoreditch the 1882 In

Thames Chase - Community Forest Pages Wood is the largest of the Forestry Commission's woodlands within Thames Chase, Environmental improvements within the borders of having 100,000 trees planted since it opened in Thames Chase Community Forest are all around 2002. It also has meadow areas, 6.5 kilometres of you in the many green spaces that are enjoyed Transforming footpaths and 2.2 kilometres of bridlepaths. It through its 40 sq miles of countryside. landscapes, consists of two former farms sloping down towards This landscape regeneration project is now being transforming the River Ingrebourne, only a stream at this point. managed by the Thames Chase Trust. There is a lives The former Pages Farm has been extensively wide range of events to interest all ages - pick up a planted, but the grazing meadows of Mount leaflet at the Forest Centre. Pleasant Farm lower down have been left in their Opening Hours original state and are rich in flowers and insects. Visitor Centre: Late March to October; The combination of these with the river, the young 10am - 5pm every day. woodland and the rough grassland makes it a good Thames November to Late March; area for birds at almost any time of the year. 10am - 4pm each day. Site: Daily; 8.30am - to dusk. Harold Court Woods have over 40,000 trees planted including a ‘Tree Circle’ where eleven horse Car parking Chase chestnuts ring a central tree to represent Christ A fixed daily donation to and his apostles. There are around 3.3km of Thames Chase Trust payable at the ticket machine. surfaced paths, 2.6km of cycle paths and 1.3km of Thames Chase Walks are in bridlepaths. Walk No. 9 partnership with the Land of These are more walks in the Thames Chase range the Fanns Walk No.1 Walk No.6b Land of the Fanns is supported by Thames Chase Circular walk via: Circular walk via: Northern Loop to Upminster St. Mary Magdalene Church Windmill and The Old Chapel The Land of the Fanns Landscape 5.6 miles (approx) Harold Court Woods 3 miles (approx) 2.5 hours (approx) Partnership Scheme seeks to restore, 1.5 hours (approx) Walk No.7 discover and celebrate one of the and Pages Wood Walk No.2 Circular walk via: Circular walk via: Pages Wood, Great Warley last remaining landscapes of London Nature Reserve & Harold Court Woods as it once was. Through delivery of 4.5 miles (approx) 3.5 miles (approx) 6.5 miles (approx) 1.5 - 2 hours (approx) 3 hours (approx) 26 projects, we aim to engage the 2 hours (approx) Walk No.3 community with their local heritage and environment. Circular walk via: Find out more on social media and our website:

Cranham Brick Fields Transforming Transforming landscapes, (approx) transforming www.landofthefanns.org.uk 3 miles landscapes, transforming lives 1.5 hours (approx) lives

Walk No.5 /Thames Chase @ Thames_Chase thameschase Circular walk via: Berwick Glades and For more information and to make bookings please ring 10 miles (approx) 01708 642970 or call at The Thames Chase Forest Centre, 5 hours (approx) Pike Lane, Upminster RM14 3NS T E-mail: [email protected] H K Walk No.6a A L Southern Loop to Upminster Web site: www.thameschase.org.uk M A Windmill and The Old Chapel Charity no. 1115627. Company No. 5687558 E W via: Cranham Nature Reserve S C SE 4.5 miles (approx) HA 2 hours (approx) Design & Artwork by P A Vine Mobile: 07940570194 Email: [email protected] Thames Chase Trust