Find trusted dog walkers in Havering

Some of Havering's larger walking areas are nature reserves or woodland, with deer, grazing cattle and protected marshland. A few also have their own rules or guidance for dogs.

Hornchurch Country Park

The park is at the south end of Hornchurch and runs down to the Ingrebourne Marshes along the river. Public access to the marshes is restricted, and cattle graze there from May until the autumn. Essex Wildlife Trust asks visitors to the nature reserve to stay on the permitted trails and keep dogs on a lead where required.

Bedfords Park

Bedfords Park is north of Romford, between Collier Row and Harold Hill, and has a herd of red deer. Essex Wildlife Trust's guidance there is to keep dogs under control, and preferably on a lead near the Nature Discovery Centre and deer pen.

Dagnam Park

Dagnam Park in Harold Hill, known locally as The Manor, has ancient woodland, wildflower meadows and ponds. Fallow deer live there too.

The Thames Chase woods

Ingrebourne Hill, next to Hornchurch Country Park, has about 4 km of walking trails through pine woods and open grassland, with views over a lake. Pages Wood, near Harold Wood, is the largest of the Thames Chase woods, with about 6.5 km of surfaced paths across rolling hills and wildflower meadows. Dogs are allowed in both. Both are also used by cyclists and horse riders, and Ingrebourne Hill has a mountain bike trail.

Along the Thames at Rainham

About 3 km of the Thames riverside path is in Havering, from Ferry Lane past Coldharbour Point to Aveley Bay. Dogs aren't allowed on most of the RSPB's Rainham Marshes reserve beside it, apart from assistance dogs.

Questions for a walker

Ask which of these places your walker uses, and whether your dog would normally stay on the lead around deer, cattle or protected areas.