My Adventures!!: Havering Atte Bower out to Noak Hill 5th July 2011

Ben and I set off from Havering Country Park for a 5 and a half mile walk.

Then a walk along Wellington Drive.
A wooden barrier marks the entrance and the path rises slowly through an avenue of Giant Sequoia trees, a common Victorian feature of country estates. The trees were discovered during the Californian Gold rush of 1869 and they became known as Wellingtonia’s in honour of the Duke of Wellington. Their towering reddish trunks may look impressive but these American immigrants are small compared to those that grow in their native California. There, they can reach up to 300 feet high, have a trunk diameter of 35 feet and live for 3000 years or more. They are the largest living things on Earth.

Edward the Confessor’s Royal Palace at Havering-atte-Bower

The route now exits the park and leads to the village of Havering-atte-Bower.Nothing now remains of an important royal house that once stood here on the village green. Edward the Confessor founded a holy retreat here nearly 1000 years ago. Later William the Conqueror and King John built hunting lodges. Slowly, over the next 600 years, a large Royal Palace was established, with Charles I being the last monarch to stay here. It fell into decay and by 1815 there was nothing left. A Victorian church stands where the original chapel once stood and there are riding stables on the site of the old palace stables.

The Royal Oak PH in Havering Atte Bower, the only pub I saw all day, wish I'd stopped for a pint now!!#

Cross the road and continued on The London Loop Path.....

Joseph Hardwick Pemberton’s Round House

The path leads to open fields and, through the trees, a strange round building can be seen on the right.This is the Water Tower on Broxhill Road.Built by the South East Essex Water Company in 1934 to help maintain water pressure to the town of Romford, some two miles distant. It is still owned by the water authority but believed to be not now required for its original purpose.

Shortly after passing the Water Tower, some horses thought they'd charge at me and the dog. Scary!!! Got out of this field as quick as I could!

Then the path turned left past some bee hives next to the path.

Pyrgo House, Playground for Princess’s Mary and Elizabeth, daughters of Henry VIII

At the woodland's edge stands a pair of iron gateposts which once marked the entrance to the grand residence of Pyrgo. Nothing now remains of the house save this one rusting sentinel. In the 16th century, Pyrgo played an important role in determining the royal succession. Henry VIII had seen little of his second daughter, Elizabeth, since her mother's execution in 1536. In 1542, Henry VIII met her when he summoned both of his daughters to dine with him at the ancient house. Henry was impressed by Elizabeth and her sister, Mary, and decided to reinstate their place in the line of royal succession. This was confirmed by Parliament in 1544, restoring the sisters to their place after Edward thus giving England one of her finest monarchs when Elizabeth became queen.