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| Bedford's Park Visitor Centre |
Bedford’s park visitor centre is the Essex wildlife trusts newest visitor centre.
The centre is located in Bedford’s Park Broxhill road Havering- Atte-Bower.
Also at the centre is the wildlife garden ‘Morning Dew’ a Chelsea flower show silver medal winner designed by local garden designer Steven Hall.
The London borough of Havering, Cleanaway Havering Riverside Trust and Bridge house Estate Trust Fund supported the centre.
The centre has been built on the site of the 18th century manor house that once stood in the park. The centre has excellent views from the observation area and has a gift shop selling a variety of items including books, gifts and refreshments.
The staff and volunteers are always on hand for wildlife advice. And information is available in the centre. The park itself is not to be overlooked boasting wild flower meadows, damselfly ponds marsh areas, mixed woodland and Deer park with Red deer as a symbol that the park was once a royal hunting ground.
Events will be running throughout the year including bat evenings, family nature days,
School holiday activities, art exhibitions and guided walks on a variety of subjects. Events are posted on the Essex wildlife trusts web site or ring the centre for details on 01708 748646
 The History of Bedfords Park.
1200
Bedfords Park forms part of the royal hunting forests. Where deer would have been hunted and also royals would take part in falconry. In 1212 King John gave the land that is Bedfords to William d’Aubigny.
1245 the estate, which totalled 100 acres of land and 15 acres of wood and 5 of meadow, was given to the Abbey of Stratford Langthorne.
1400
Bedfords becomes part of the Gidea Hall estate, under Sir Thomas Cooke, Lord Mayor of London
1500-1600
There is very little recorded for these times.
1700
In 1771 John Heaton purchases the estate and builds the Bedfords manor house and He also built Upper Earls, which used to be mistaken by strangers for a parish church. John Heaton was a financial and legal advisor for the Duke of Devonshire and also was a substantial land owner
Heaton grange being part of his estates. When John Heaton died the land was left to his son Charles, But his wife if she wanted to could still live in Bedfords house with the costs being paid out of his personal estate.
But the property was let to a Mr Joseph Quincy and then Mr John Rogers all being tenants of Charles Heaton.
 1800 -1900
The house passed through a few different owners or occupiers and by 1865-1870 Charles Barber was the owner of Bedfords Park and Manor,
He made many improvements on the house and with the gardens, the house became much more attractive and the gardens were planted with specimen trees such as Monkey puzzle, Holm oak, Cedar of Lebanon and Wellingtonia (giant sequoia), Which are still present today.
The stone family were the next owners, Mr H.R Stone purchased Bedfords in 1870 and died in 1876.The estate Stayed with the stone family with Col H.J.Stone being the head of the house, this being the Stone family who owned Stones department store on the site where Debenhams in Romford is now. In 1886-1894 James Theobald MP and his Wife Lived in the house until His untimely death at Romford Station. Lord and Lady Falconer were tenants here during the early 1930s. When Col Stone died Romford council purchased the property from Emma Stone.
There where also other properties on the estate including Gardeners Cottage, Top Lodge and Lower Bedfords Lodge, these were occupied by the staff of the house and the gardens, The ones we know the most about are the Haley family who
Lived for a short time in lower lodge and then Gardeners Cottage.
After the sale of the estate from the Stones to the Local Council in 1933
The Council decided to use it as a public park, The official opening was 1934, the Deer park was added to symbolise that it was once a Royal Hunting ground and this is Still in the park today. The House was opened as a Natural History museum; they had Butterfly collections and lots of taxidermy. And also there was a Tearoom. This was in use until the Second World War, when the National Fire service took over the House and used it to look out over the local areas as it has spectacular views.
After the war the House fell into dis-repair and was finally demolished
In 1959, but the park remained a Public Park
By 1964 a Modern cafeteria was built on the site of the mansion, and this remained until the Eighties, this became subject to vandalism and was finally closed, Essex Wildlife Trust became involved with the site in 1996
And along with London borough of Havering, Bridgehouse estates and Cleanaway riverside trust started to raise funds for the construction of a Visitor Centre.
 2000
In 2002 the construction was started on the Visitor Centre and The Essex Wildlife Trust officially opened on the 7th June 2003. The Essex wildlife Trust is a conservation charity established in 1959 and exists to secure a better future for the Wildlife and People of Essex. We rely on Donations, Membership subscriptions and Legacies to fund the majority of our work, spending more than 1 million a year caring for the Essex countryside and encouraging others to do the same.
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