We are pleased to announce the launch of the Thames Chase Plan, our 4th since Thames Chase Community Forest was established in 1990. Our refreshed plan is a strategic document that sets out the vision and objectives of the Thames Chase Trust over the next 10 years (2025-2035) for the benefit of people, nature, and climate. Thank you to our inspiring speakers, valued partners and supporters that joined us today for the launch at the Forest Centre. If you would like to learn more and read the plan in full please click here: lnkd.in/e_fyTT9U Summary documents are also on display at the Thames Chase Visitor Centre reception area. #thameschase @CommForests @ForestryComm @DefraGovUK

Our Conservation Volunteers have really enjoyed working at Havering Country Park recently. It is such a beautiful site and with this perfect autumn weather it has been ideal for working outside. We have been removing and replacing sections of fencing, improving entrance points to the park and protecting young trees from deer damage by installing protection around them. Our work continues on site over the coming months. These improvements have been possible due to funding Havering Council has received from Veolia. If you would like to learn more about volunteering with us please get in touch: 01708 642970 or email: [email protected] #thameschase #volunteering @LBofHavering

🍏It's Apple Day at Thames Chase! 🌿We have stalls featuring plants, preserves, art, health and beauty, cakes, face painting and handmade items and of course lots of lovely apples for sale! 🥁Live music from Romford Drum & Trumpet Corps. 🎪Free children's entertainment including Party Monsters and Circus Skills Workshops. Children's Crafts with our volunteers and apple feeders with our partners Forestry England. We are open until 3pm Thames Chase, Pike Lane, Upminster RM14 3NS #thameschase #upminster

🍏APPLE DAY - Thames Chase Forest Centre, Sunday 18th October, 10am–3pm 😀Come and celebrate our local heritage, traditions, landscape and community. 🎵Enjoy live entertainment, and get involved with activities for all ages. You can also enjoy two wonderful walks bookable here: tickettailor.com/events/tham… 🍎Craft stalls and lots of apples for sale! ⭐️Face painter (fee applies) 🎪Circus Skills Workshop (10am–3pm) 👧Apple crafts (donation) 🍏Meet Pip the Apple Mascot (10am) 👦Party Monsters Children's Entertainment (10,30am-2.30pm) 🌳Wellbeing & Tree Walk (11am-12pm donation requested) 🥁Romford Drum & Trumpet Corps (11am and 12pm) 🌿Orchard Walk (1pm-2pm donation requested) 📍Thames Chase, Pike Lane RM14 3NS 🚘Our site can get extremely busy so we encourage car sharing

🎄✨ Christmas activities at Thames Chase Forest Centre have just been updated! 🔗 Click the link below for full details and to book. 🎅🌲tickettailor.com/events/tham… 📍Thames Chase, Pike Lane Upminster RM14 3NS

🦋 This beautiful female Wall Brown butterfly was recently recorded at Tylers Common within the Thames Chase Community Forest. This was the first sighting of a Wall Brown at this site since the 1990s. There have been other sightings at Harold Wood Park and in a Harold Wood garden so it looks hopeful that with suitable egg laying habitat, these rarely seen butterflies could be on the increase locally. 🌿The Wall Brown is a medium-sized butterfly which is on the wing in two or three broods, between the middle of April and the end of October. The butterfly likes hot, sunny places such as open grassland, sand dunes and rocky foreshores, disused quarries, railway cuttings, and even gardens. Their caterpillars feed on a variety of grasses including false brome and tor-grass. It is named Wall Brown as they are usually found basking on walls and similar warm surfaces to raise their body temperature ready for flight. #thameschase @CommForests @LBofHavering (Photo by Rob Smith)

🍏APPLE DAY - Thames Chase Forest Centre, Sunday 18th October, 10am–3pm 🎉Come and celebrate our local heritage, traditions, landscape and community. 🎶Enjoy live entertainment, and get involved with activities for all ages. You can also enjoy two wonderful walks bookable here: tickettailor.com/events/tham… 🍏Craft stalls and lots of apples for sale! 😃Face painter (fee applies) 🎪Circus Skills Workshop (10am–3pm) 🍎Apple crafts (donation) 🌳Meet Pip the Apple Mascot (10am) 👧 Party Monsters Children's Entertainment (10,30am-2.30pm) 🍁Wellbeing & Tree Walk (11am-12pm donation requested) 🥁Romford Drum & Trumpet Corps (11am and 12pm) 🍎Orchard Walk (1pm-2pm donation requested) 📍Thames Chase, Pike Lane RM14 3NS 🚘Our site can get extremely busy so we encourage car sharing

🍃October plant of the month! Also known as the Maidenhair Tree, for the way its leaves resemble the Maidenhair Fern, this lovely specimen is Ginkgo biloba, or a Ginkgo. No other tree has leaves the same shape, making it easier to identify than most. Enjoying full sun and being native to China, they have been planted across the UK due to their disease and pollution resilience, whilst also having relatively non-invasive root systems. What striking autumn colours though!

❄️Winter Opening hours from 25th October 🍂The Thames Chase Forest Centre and Toilets 10am-4pm ☕The Forest Centre Tea Room opens at 10am (3pm last food orders and 3.45pm last drink orders) 🐾Well behaved dogs on leads welcome inside

It's Wildlife Wednesday! And what a treat we have for our followers this week! Check out this stunning female Kestrel striking a pose, spotted buy our Senior Programmes Officer Becky near the entrance to the Thames Chase Forest Centre. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled on your next visit! #ThamesChase @forestryengland @CommForests #Wildlife #Nature (Photo © B Gibson)

Be sure to join us this Saturday for a free autumn wellbeing day at Thames Chase! No tickets or booking required just turn up! Details and timetable here: forestryengland.uk/thames-ch…

🎄Adult Festive Paint & Sip Join us for a relaxed and creative afternoon of painting, sipping and sweet treats, hosted by the lovely Dani from Paint Circle! 📍Saturday 6th December ⌛️1pm – 3pm 💷£30 per person Your £30 includes: ☕️Tea & coffee 🍰A delicious slice of cake 🎨Everything you need to create your own festive masterpiece Plenty of grown-up time to relax, chat and get creative! Whether you're coming with friends, family or just fancy some time for yourself, this is the perfect way to get into the festive spirit. Book online here: buytickets.at/thameschase/24…

☔️Thames Chase Conservation volunteers are out in all weathers! 📸 Here are the before, during and after photos of a footbridge we recently repaired. The footpath leads along the field behind the Huntsman and Hounds Pub in Upminster and on the route there are two bridges. The first one had collapsed and was in urgent need of being replaced. Twelve volunteers turned up in pouring rain to get the job done. They really are incredible. First the old bridge had to be dismantled and broken up, then the new bridge could be installed. The rain did not let off, even for lunchtime. What an incredible team that turn up whatever the weather to work together to get the job done! 🌿If you would like to find out more about the various aspects of volunteering at Thames Chase get in touch: [email protected] / 01708 642970

❄️Winter Opening hours from 25th October 🍂The Thames Chase Forest Centre and Toilets 10am-4pm ☕The Forest Centre Tea Room opens at 10am (3pm last food orders and 3.45pm last drink orders) 🐾Well behaved dogs on leads welcome inside

Only 3 spaces remaining for our Guided Heritage Walk tomorrow! Call to book: 01708 642970

😃 It's Wildlife Wednesday! 💜 Check out this fabulous Violet Ground Beetle spotted by Chris one of our volunteers. We love to see your wildlife spots, post an image below or email us: [email protected] #ThamesChase #WildlifeWednesday #Nature #Autumn @CommForests

In the Community Tree Nursery, we have been collecting tree seed from around the Thames Chase Community Forest. Our volunteers have been busy processing this tree seed so that it all can be planted into pots to grow. Processing tree seed can be very messy with many seeds being sealed within berries, but despite this sticky business, the team were in good spirits! If you would be interested in volunteering at the Community Tree Nursery please get in touch: [email protected] or call 01708 642970.

🎄Festive Clay Workshop! Join Ruth from Butterfly Bay at Thames Chase on Saturday 19th December 2026 from 1-3pm for a relaxed and festive creative session where you’ll design and make your very own Norman the Snowman polymer clay pendant! Create your own adorable snowman pendant using a selection of festive colours and materials, with Ruth guiding you through the process step by step. £25 per person Ages 12+ Spaces are limited, so early booking is recommended to avoid missing out: tickettailor.com/events/tham…

🪲Bioblitz 2026 The Results are in! Thames Chase hosted another fantastic Bioblitz during the summer holidays and it was great to see over 100 people get involved over the course of the day. We worked closely with our partners Forestry England, Bug Life and Essex Field Club who all helped to make the event a great success. Our incredible volunteers supported the event too with lots of crafts including badge making, wooden spinners, medals and dragonflies. Some families spent hours here searching the meadows with sweep nets and found so many great creatures which our on site experts could help to identify. Children recorded their findings on a big tally chart and over 30 different invertebrate species were recorded, so much knowledge was shared and lots of fun was had. Thank you to everyone who came along and took part. #ThamesChase @ForestryEngland @EssexFieldClub @Buzz_dont_tweet

🍂October Guided Heritage Walk 🚶‍♀️Join us on 2nd October to explore Bedfords Park and Havering Country Park. This circular walk will be about 3.5 miles. Come along and discover: The church of St John the Evangelist in Havering Atte Bower, the Round House, The Hall (now St Francis Hospice) and admire views to the Thames. We shall have an opportunity to view inside the church, and admire its history. After this stop at the church, we will continue on and enter Havering Country Park via Wellingtonia Avenue and behold the magnificent redwood trees. As we walk back towards Bedfords Park, we will pass the grade 1 listed Bower House. The walk will finish at the Essex Wildlife Trust cafe and car park. Book via the link or call: 01708 642970 - Cost £4 per person buytickets.at/thameschase/23… (With thanks to B Stevenson for photos)