South Park

South Park is an Edwardian park south of Ilford in East London. It covers 13.5 hectares and is one of the largest open spaces in the London Borough of Redbridge. The park opened to the public in 1902 after Ilford Council bought the land from a farmer in 1899. Before that, it had been open fields and home to a rifle volunteers’ barracks in the 19th century. A short-lived football club played here in 1867. The clock tower now at the entrance was moved from Ilford Broadway in the 1920s. The park holds a lake fed by Loxford Water and has tennis courts and football pitches. It won Green Flag status for its high standards. Wildlife thrives here, with mallard ducks, Canada geese and mute swans on the lake. Grey herons and Egyptian geese are often seen, and bats roost in the trees. An annual bat-sighting walk takes place every September, led by the council. Paths wind past large trees and the wildlife centre in the old boathouse. The centre explains the park’s natural life and runs education sessions. The surrounding area is known as South Park, and a primary school nearby takes its name from the park. The park remains a quiet green space in a busy part of London.