We should all recognise that Land of the Fanns has been a huge success and will positively change the way we work together across our landscape. I am sure all partners and stakeholders will agree that we need to grasp this opportunity and work closely to sustain the energy and
The Land of the Fanns began in earnest with the projects which started in the summer of 2017. However, planning for this complex programme began even further back, over 10 years ago in 2011. And still, if you look at the origins of the partnerships and landscape regeneration projects that
Essex Gardens Trust successfully bid for funding from the Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme to research sites of historic and local interest in Thurrock. The culmination of this is an inventory of these sites which we hope will be useful to Thurrock planning authorities when making decisions which
Why is there a need to protect greenspaces? There is significant pressure on public spaces. Locality’s Report ‘The Great British Sell Off’ shows that the UK is losing over 4,000 publicly owned buildings and spaces every year. With increased pressure on council budgets, green spaces can be viewed as too
This is only the third vintage bus tour of heritage sites that Land of the Fanns have been involved with, this time to visit a number of sites in Havering which are all part of the DiscoverME network. DiscoverME, which stands for Discover Metropolitan Essex is a joint initiative between
As we all sit down for a well earned cuppa at the end of another busy day, the sun warming the 200 year old walls, I feel a glow of satisfaction and pride. We are half way through what has almost been a fairly normal year for most of us and of
The Land of the Fanns is delighted to announce the publication of a new book which details the history, natural history and heritage of the area from its earliest beginnings to the 20th century. Researched and written by local historian and buildings conversationist Sue Smith, The Land of the Fanns and its
Howard Vaughan from the RSPB led two free guided circular walks on 23 and 27 May 2022 around the Ingrebourne Valley. Spring was in full flow as they explored the wildlife of the river, marshes, woods and surrounding farmland. Read the full account of Howards walks by clicking on the
Oliver road Lagoons is a fascinating brownfield site in West Thurrock, owned by The Land Trust and managed by Essex Wildlife Trust. Oliver Road Lagoons is one of the best sites in the country for invertebrates and is inhabited by some very rare species, including the distinguished jumping spider. This
At the beginning of April, as part of the Land of the Fanns Community Archaeology Project, Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) worked with the Young Carers on an exciting project at Valence House in Dagenham. The project was to explore the archaeology of the site and demonstrate to young people
The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme started in earnest for the Thames Chase Community Tree Nursery in 2019, when a Business Plan was created outlining Thames Chase Trust’s ambitions for the site and how the Land of the Fanns Scheme would be integral in the (re)development, maintenance, public
The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme comes to a conclusion in 2022. Partners and participants came together on Wednesday 27 April to celebrate the Scheme’s successes and reflect on how much has been achieved over the past five years. The venue was Langtons Hall at Langtons House in
A makeover with a Land of the Fanns Community Action Fund Grant. Thorndon Country Park near Brentwood lies across the northern edge of the Land of the Fanns area. In 2011, members of Essex Rock and Mineral Society, with assistance from Essex County Council who operate the park, dug into
Valence House, and the wider landscape that surrounds it, has a long history of fruit and vegetable production. As once the largest manor estates in Dagenham, Valence House was able to produce everything it needed to survive and prosper – fruit, vegetables, plants and animal products. For centuries the preserve
On 12 March 2022 we visited Grenfell Park in Havering to celebrate the River Rom project with the local community and stakeholders. The aim of the day was to plant the marginal area newly excavated wetlands and also to wade a section of the Rom where the large wood deflectors
Historic England photographic research published today shows the wartime role of historic Belhus Park in Thurrock. More than 300 aerial photographs, dating from 1929 to the present day, were analysed. With this new insight, organisations will join forces to protect and restore this historic landscape, which has been on the
One of the key missions of the Land of the Fanns has been to make the history of the area and the Fanns landscape more accessible to everyone so they can understand how places have become what they are today and how changes have taken place over the centuries. We
Once again, its thanks to the dedication and hard work of the many volunteers, stakeholders and delivery partners, the Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has continued to achieve so much throughout 2021. With the programme set to come to an end in 2022 we are now looking forward
If you’ve been down to the woods recently, you might very well have found a group of enthusiastic nature lovers learning all about caring for a wood in a traditional manner. The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has been running a free five day course at Langdon Hills
History is happening all around all the time. There will come a time when today and tomorrow are history and the way of life of the early 21st century in the Land of the Fanns is looked back upon with interest and wonder as today we look back upon the
Over the last three years, the Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has awarded over £70,000 in grants to a variety of community groups, small charities, schools, environmental and heritage groups from its Community Action Fund. This funding has helped many smaller projects get off the ground and in
We were treated to fascinating talks at the Land of the Fanns Conference on Wednesday 24 November when 40 attendees from partner and project delivery organisations gathered together to share project updates and news from the Landscape Partnership Scheme. Volunteer Phil
£2.4 million investment in protecting and restoring the landscape made through the Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has enabled new jobs to be created across the Scheme’s area. The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has operated since 2016 enabling local people to discover, appreciate and enjoy
On the 26 October 2021, Thames21 and the Land of the Fanns organized a celebration of the completion of the Mardyke Valley Habitat Creation and Restoration Project. This was an opportunity for the local community, partners and local council members to visit the completed works at Davy Down Riverside Park
Floating pennywort is a species of plant that is native to North America. The species was first bought to the UK as part of the aquatic plant nursery trade, and was first recorded in the wild in 1990. Since then, the plant has rapidly spread across Britain, establishing itself as
Please help us gather important information about the last two years and to plan for the future. It’s time to take a breath, stand back and take stock. 2020 and 2021 have been rather a whirlwind – different and challenging for many countryside and heritage sites. Some places have received
A 43 mile Forest Circle of 8 linear paths has been mapped by the Thames Chase Volunteer walks team in partnership with the Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme. The Forest Circle will launch with a special walk event open to all on Saturday 9th October. Visitors can
Over many years the perimeter of the main/top lake had become overgrown with too many trees, and the vegetation had become quite dense and tangled. The only gaps along the lake front were the existing fishing swims. Our project therefore was to open up the vista of the main lake
On 26 May 2021, Havering Museum should have been celebrating its 11th Birthday, but sadly the volunteers were unable to celebrate together due to the government COVID-19 regulations. The good news is, the Museum reopened to visitors on Friday 23 July 2021. Although the Museum had been closed since 21 March
We asked you to send us your photos from around the Land of the Fanns using ‘wish for the future’ as the theme. We received lots of fantastic entries and some beautiful wishes, but we can only choose three winners… 1st place is Colin Page with ‘Life in the gutter’
The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has achieved fantastic outcomes across heritage focused projects over the past few years!
Volunteer researchers find evidence of surviving features in the landscape The Land of the Fanns are delighted to be able to reveal exciting developments in our Designed Landscape project with the discovery at Belhus Park in Thurrock of the remains of Tudor and Jacobean gardens. We are working with Historic
Like many organisations, Orchards Community Forum in Grays had to suspend all activities during lockdown. As secretary, I found it incredibly frustrating – the Forum had only been resurrected less than 18 months earlier. Getting involved in vital community activities because of the pandemic inevitably meant putting a hold on
The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has launched an easy to use one-stop online resource for teachers and home learners that will encourage young people to explore and discover the great outdoors. Time spent outdoors is a fantastic way to change pace, boost energy levels and bring a
The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has achieved fantastic outcomes across environment focused projects over the past few years!
The Land of the Fanns is delighted to announce that well-known author and social historian Ken Worpole has brought his considerable talent and thought to the new book which captures the essence of the area and sums up everything that the five year Landscape Partnership Scheme has been about: Fens,
The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has worked with Thames21 and the London Borough of Havering to install a new natural flood management scheme at Bedfords Park with the help of a four-legged worker, literally horse power. Roy, a magnificent Suffolk Punch horse from local contractors Hawthorn Heavy
Cely Woods is a 140-acre Forestry England site located near Ockendon. It is former arable farmland and in the early 2000s it was planted with a mixture of native broadleaf tree species to create a woodland part of the Thames Chase Community Forest. Cely Woods is surrounded by ancient woodland
Saturday 22 May – Sunday 6 June What stories lie waiting to be discovered in the landscape around us? Where are the special places that evoke memories and recall past histories? Who are the characters that have enlivened and shaped the land? The 185 square kilometres of the Land of
Congratulations to the the winners of the Land of the Fanns Model Building Competition and thank you to everyone who entered! We were looking for models of a local place in the Land of the Fanns area that is special such as a favourite building, landscape or hidden gem. The
I have been wanting to do my Forest School training for some time now, so when the opportunity came along, I jumped at it. Land of the Fanns would help fund the training with Essex Wildlife Trust. There was the matter of Covid-19 interfering with how the training is taught,
The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has a new programme of low cost online training available for local heritage or environmental groups and organisations across the Scheme’s operating area. Small charities, voluntary groups and organisations working on conservation projects or benefiting the local natural or built heritage can
2021 started at a slow pace in the Community Tree Nursery. In the firm grip of winter, the saplings have remained dormant and quiet, ensuring that our volunteers have time to continue with the other tasks in the Community Tree Nursery, rather than direct sapling care. The first large sapling
The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has worked with production company Rosa Productions and local people to create ten short films that reveal some of the wonderful places and characters in the Land of the Fanns. During the summer of 2020, local people from across the Land of
Through the dedication and hard work of the many volunteers, stakeholders and delivery partners, the Land of the Fanns Scheme has continued throughout 2020 with many projects now coming to a successful conclusion and lots to celebrate. Well over halfway through, with over £1 million already invested in project delivery,
We are working with Essex Gardens Trust on a new project to record the many precious green spaces across Thurrock. Essex Garden Trust was successful in applying through the Land of the Fanns Community Action Fund to fund a project in Thurrock called Unforgettable Gardens. This project builds on the
It is with great pleasure that the Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme welcomes Carole Watling as our new chair. We look forward to working with Carole in 2021! “Hi everyone, By profession I am an Occupational Psychologist and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. For 20
Thurrock Museum is benefiting from the attention of archaeological and objects conservator, Hazel Gardiner, thanks to Land of the Fanns support. Read her report here: Tucked away inside the Thameside complex at Grays, Thurrock Museum is a treasure house of archaeological and social history artefacts from the area. It has a wonderfully
We awarded £26,100 to six projects across the Scheme’s area in the last round of our Community Action Fund. From wildlife ponds to archaeology, geology to information boards, the projects funded all contribute to our aims to reconnect local people to the fascinating landscape of the Fanns. Those receiving funding
Land of the Fanns Film Competition We asked you to send in a short film from around the Land of the Fanns in our latest competition, focusing on a local place that is special to you and to tell us why. We received lots of great entries of so many
The Fifty Fabulous Features report forms part of a wider project to identify and record changes in the Land of the Fanns landscape over time to build an understanding and appreciation of its significance. The project included initial training workshops, followed by an active period of site survey, research and
Do you love your local landscape? The Land of the Fanns is seeking a new Chair with skills and experience to lead the Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme Board into the final 18 months of delivery. Building on the success so far, the Partnership is at an exciting
Since the last blog update, the craftsperson role has been in ‘full throttle’ where myself and my colleague have been busy with the seasonal habitat management work around the Thames Chase beat and other FE sites. Our main focus has been at Jeskyns community woodland, where we spent most of
Flags depicting stories, histories, characters and places make spectacle for visitors Visitors to Thames Chase Forest Centre were treated to a beautiful spectacle on Sunday 30 August as 100 flags flew in the sunshine. The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme displayed the colourful silk flags created with arts
During 2019 and into 2020, Kinetika led walks across the Land of the Fanns and a series of creative workshops for people to record their stories of local places that had special significance, important characters from the community and those everyday stories that are so familiar as to become forgotten
Featured image: The cover of the booklet The Land of the Fanns wanted to make it easier for the public to understand and enjoy the local area. Eleven landscape character areas had been identified, one of which was the “West Thurrock Quarry Townscape”. This “townscape” had been the heart of
We have rescheduled our training programme which had to be postponed due to lockdown and now have even more to offer community groups who look after local heritage or environmental projects. The training is focussed on small charities and voluntary groups for them to gain useful knowledge across various aspects
Across the Land of the Fanns, stories have been gathered to tell the history and celebrate the people and places of the area The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme will celebrate all that is special and unique about the landscape it works within in a walking and arts
In 1878 Mr Thomas May, a land surveyor from Devon brought his young family, mother-in-law, servants and several families of agricultural labourers to Valence House in Dagenham, Essex. Thomas suffered for much of his life with tuberculosis, and we think that the move to Dagenham was a direct result of his
The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme has been able to keep certain projects running over the lockdown with the help of partners and, as that now begins to ease, there is lots to report on such as the developments at Pages Wood. Pages Wood is a Forestry England
Congratulations to the the winners of the Land of the Fanns Photographic competition 2020 with the theme ‘Land of the Fanns in Spring’, and thank you to everyone who entered. 1st Place: Wendy Impett 2nd Place: Lesley Robinson 3rd Place: Wayne Sullivan The Land of the Fanns is an intricate
Spring has well and truly arrived at Thames Chase Trust and in the Community Tree Nursery, with sunshine, pollen and fresh green growth sweeping through and blowing off the cobwebs of winter. There has been an obvious touch of sadness this spring however, with the Visitor Centre empty and most
This fabulous project to record ‘55 Features’ in historic parks and gardens of all kinds, builds on a series of vibrant training workshop sessions run by the Land of the Fanns, delivered by The Gardens Trust and supported by the Essex Gardens Trust (EGT). After desk-top and on-site training our
A busy winter saw the heritage projects progressing with new volunteers who joined several training courses and events. Many parks and open spaces in this area have historic landscape features, many by Humphry Repton and Capability Brown, so by engaging with Essex Gardens Trust, and their enthusiastic tutor, Twigs Way,
We are running a series of training days for local heritage or environmentally focussed small charities and voluntary groups to gain useful knowledge across various aspects of fundraising, managing volunteers and working with different communities. Epitome Consultancy and Training will run the day long courses at the Havering Volunteer Centre,
The Battle of Britain took place in the long hot summer of 1940. 2020 will be the 80th anniversary of the conflict in which RAF Hornchurch played a major role in the defence of London as the base to three squadrons of Spitfires. The former airfield has since become Hornchurch
Congratulations to the winners of the Land of the Fanns Drawing competition 2019 with the theme ‘landscape and / or heritage’, and thank you to everyone who entered. 1st Place: Steve Green, Towards Orsett Fen (featured image) 2nd Place: Christina French, Harold Wood Polyclinic tree 3rd Place: Robert Stevenson, Parklands
Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Land of the Fanns and funds from our community cafe, Bulphan villagers are celebrating the installation of their new sign to mark the beginning of the Mardyke Way*. …..and this is who unveiled it: Mrs Clarinda Richards. Born in 1841 and known
Throughout the spring and summer months, it has been amazing to see how much the trees and plants grow in such a short amount of time, and the differing environments coming back to life once the warmer weather starts. Seeing the increase in plant and wildlife, with a beautiful array
Is the cost of transport stopping your school from arranging educational visits? The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Scheme could help fund your transport costs for a local environmental or heritage site educational visit. The benefits of visiting a local site for heritage and outdoor education are enormous. School
With supporting funding from Land of the Fanns, Essex Wildlife Trust (EWT) organised a course that introduced volunteers to brickwork repair of older structures. The nine volunteers were from the EWT’s Warley Place nature reserve and Upminster Windmill. Expert tuition was provided by the very experienced ‘Mac’ from Place Services,
Environmental and heritage projects set to benefit Do you run a community project that needs some funding? The Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership Project’s Community Grant fund is open for applications again. Grants of up to £5,000 are available for local groups to run environmental or heritage projects within
It’s been another busy summer for the Land of the Fanns project with the team and partners engaged in delivery of training, events and the development and delivery of projects across the landscape. Here’s a round-up of highlights from the last six months. Training focus The Land of the Fanns
The Land of the Fanns in partnership with Discover ME (Discover Metropolitan Essex) invited intrepid explorers, history buffs and the plain curious to board ‘Daisy’, a vintage Route Master bus last weekend, on a tour of the fascinating built history in the local landscape. Daisy, a 1964 open top Route
The Land of the Fanns team hosted a fabulous pop up display, curated by MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology), showcasing the fascinating history, archaeology and heritage of the area. MOLA archaeologists, Land of the Fanns staff and volunteers had a great time at two recent events, the Hornchurch Country Park
Budding naturalists can discover the amazing variety of wildlife living in your local area at a free BioBlitz day at Thames Chase Forest Centre on Sunday 21 July 2019. From 10am until 3pm, with the Land of the Fanns and Thames Chase Trust, as part of the Mayor of London’s
Community Mapping Land of the Fanns 100 Stories Project Kinetika is a Purfleet based arts organisation and we are working with Land of the Fanns to deliver a Community Mapping project. We are inviting local people and communities to identify and celebrate 100 Stories gathered in response to the different
Mitchell Jacobs, Forest Craftsperson Apprentice with Forestry England, gives us an update on his apprenticeship to date… It has been five months since starting my apprenticeship, and the training I have received has been put into good use. The most recent project was in habitat improvement along the Ingrebourne River
Land of the Fanns were the business partner for Grays Convent School on this year’s Next Top Boss challenge. Thurrock’s Next Top Boss, run by Inspire Thurrock Council, gives young people the chance of working with local employers on real business challenges. Jodie, student at Grays Convent School tells us
Will you be my Bat Buddy? I am a bat and I need your help. There are several ways you can with “Bat Buddies” at Thames Chase. Firstly get to know us. Come on our bat walks based at the Thames Chase Visitor Centre, Pike Lane. You’ll hear the calls
Congratulations to the the winners of the Land of the Fanns Photographic competition 2019 with the theme ‘Land of the Fanns in Winter’, and thank you to everyone who entered. 1st Place: Robert Stevenson, Ingrebourne Marshes 2nd Place: Paul Harold, Clouds over Rainham Marshes 3rd Place: Nick Griffin, Cely Woods
It has been three months since Mitchell and Tegan started their Forest Craftsperson Apprenticeship with the Forestry Commission. As part of the Land of the Fanns Scheme, the Forestry Commission at Thames Chase are hosting two apprentices on their National Apprenticeship Scheme. Mitchell and Tegan gave us an insight into
We are recruiting for the following position: Job Title: River Restoration Project Manager Salary: Band £28,000 -£31,000 per annum, (35 hours per week) Contract length: Fixed term contract – for 1
As we are now a year and a half into the project, it’s probably a useful time to recap on what the Land of the Fanns Landscape Partnership is about from a manager’s perspective. For the community it’s a five year programme that began in 2017 that will deliver 27
Our outdoor learning area has been transformed with a new wildlife pond. With the Community Action Fund, granted by Land of the Fanns, we have been able to create a living science area where our children will learn about habitats and wildlife in their own school field. The Thames Chase
The Land of the Fanns is an intricate landscape, full of surprises and ‘hidden gems’ which straddles the London – Essex boundary and encompasses significant parts of Havering, Thurrock, Barking & Dagenham and Brentwood. We were looking for photographs which capture the essence of the area, the landscape, heritage and
On the 22nd July 2018, we were joined by families and experts to count wildlife at Broadfields, Thames Chase. The day was a great success where we found and identified nearly 100 species of butterflies, bees, beetles, bugs, moths, crickets, flies, dragonflies, spiders and river critters! The BioBlitz was a
A few lucky local residents took a ride of a lifetime one Saturday in July. A shire horse-drawn 1906 omnibus delivered them, as they would have done back in Victorian times, slowly and relaxingly, to several historic locations around Havering. The horse drawn carriage was a Land of the Fanns
The Land of the Fanns team have been busy once again, right across the project area from Havering Country Park to Davy Down, and Weald to Belhus, on projects ranging from photography workshops to river clean ups and tree planting. We have hit an all time high on our social
Breeding wader populations on the reserve have been steadily increasing over the last 6 years, and in 2017, there were 68 pairs of lapwing, and 53 pairs of redshank. The previous focus for our habitat management has been Aveley Marsh, and this is where the breeding wader populations have been
Walled Gardens originate from the Monastic enclosed courtyards and Cloister gardens of the Middle Ages. Monks were educated and studied Latin and botany, growing herbs and flowers for medicinal and culinary purposes. Evolving over the centuries, the formal Knot gardens and geometrically laid decorative Parterres helped create the evolving productive
As this is my first blog post, and I rarely get a chance to talk about them (at least not in a good light!) I will start with an introduction to the wonderful Land of the Fanns team. Most recently Joanne Dungate has joined the team as the Finance and
We are live! Thanks for visiting our blog. The Land of the Fanns website and blog are now live! We are a small team of 4 – Benjamin (Benj), Debborah (Debbie), Aisling & Amena. Benj is the Scheme manager, Debbie is the Heritage Engagement Officer, Aisling is the Environment Engagement
Ormiston Park Academy students visit Thames Chase to plan the next stage of their Davy Down Pump House projects. This was an amazing chance for the students to garner valuable tips and advice direct from industry, by meeting Susan Cross of Tell Tale Interpretative Consultants, also the LOTF commissioned interpretation consultancy, to
Our Heritage Engagment Officer, Debbie, was out visiting the Heritage Museum in Purfleet and enjoying the views of the Land of the Fanns area from the Langdon Hills, with Head Ranger, Nick Stanley and Ranger Lauren.
Where do you find the next entrepeneurs of industry? Well, they may be right here in Thurrock. Ten, young teenage students from Ormiston Park Academy were invited to research, plan and deliver an interpretation project for the Pump House pumping station at Davy Down Park recently. I was delighted, as
Thames Chase Trust, Pike Lane
Upminster, Essex RM14 3NS
01708 642970
landofthefanns@thameschase.org.uk
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