Country Parks and Nature Reserves
The Beam Valley
The area known as the Beam Valley is a 74-hectares country park running from the A1306 by the Ford Motor Works in the south-east of the borough, north along the River Beam up to the C2C railway line adjacent to Eastbrookend Country Park.
The land is a mixture of woodlands, acid grassland, ponds and marsh areas. It also includes a variety of historical features, including tank traps, pillboxes and a section of the Old Romford Canal.
In 2007 as part of improvement works to the an area around the River Beam evidence was found that Late Iron Age/Early Roman (2,000 years ago) man was using the area.
Features such as a farmstead were discovered, as well as evidence suggestions that cremation burials of some of the farmers and their families took place. A Roman pottery kiln was an unexpected discovery, which helps us understand how craft manufacturing was managed at the time.
The country park formerly opened in 2001 and acts as a haven for many types of wildlife and extensively used for informal recreation by many residents of the borough.
Sports and leisure facilities
Car parking
Car parking for the Beam Valley Country Park is available off of Ballards Road.
Access
The country park is accessible every day of the year from sunrise until dusk.
Access points consist of squeeze barriers and gates accessible through the RADAR scheme. There is a hard-surfaced footpath network across the country park.
Please contact the Parks and Countryside Ranger Service for further information on access.
Byelaws
The Country Park and Nature Reserve byelaws are applicable to the whole of the site.
Location map
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Click image for larger version.
