The park also has a tea room and a community orchard
East Londoners are blessed with plenty of green space to enjoy, from the expansive Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford to the peaceful Wanstead Flats. One less well-known green space closer to the edges of the city is the perfect destination for fishing enthusiasts, as well as those just looking for somewhere new to unwind in nature.
Tucked away in Dagenham, Eastbrookend Country Park is one of East London’s most underrated green spaces. Whether you fancy casting a line, stretching your legs along a nature trail or simply enjoying a breath of fresh air, this 76-hectare green space is well worth a visit.
Originally a sand and gravel quarry and landfill site, the area has been impressively transformed and is now made up of a series of habitats, including open grassland, woodland, marsh and lakes, with 15km of paths to explore.
For those wanting to take in the scenery, there are two circular walking routes that begin and end at the Eastbrookend Discovery Centre. The first follows a nature trail through woodland and around the lakes. Look out for rubbing posts along the route, perfect for children to get a hands-on souvenir of their visit.
The second route is Arty’s Sculpture Trail, a family-friendly route featuring wooden characters inspired by the children’s book Arty’s Eastbrookend Adventure.
For those looking for more than a walk, one of the most popular activities at Eastbrookend is fishing, managed by the Bardag Angling Association. The association was founded in 1980 by employees of Barking and Dagenham council and now boasts 275 members and more than 150 day ticket holders.
There are three fishing lakes in the park – the BARDAG lake, which is available to members only, and the Tom Thumb lake and the Chase lake, which are both open to day ticket visitors. The lakes are home to an impressive variety of fish including carp, tench, bream, roach, rudd, perch and pike.
The Eastbrookend Discovery Centre serves as the park’s main hub for visitors, containing a tea room as well as a children’s play area and outdoor gym. For opportunities to learn more about the park and the wildlife living in it, keep an eye out for events at the Discovery Centre hosted by the Park Rangers.
Getting there
The park is located at The Chase, off Dagenham Road, Dagenham, RM7 0SS. The nearest tube station is Dagenham East, and bus route 174 stops directly at The Chase. If you are driving, a free car park is available on site but bear in mind it is locked at 9:30pm between April and September, and at 6:30pm between October and March.
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