Valentines Park

Valentines Park is a large green space in the London Borough of Redbridge. It covers 52 hectares and includes the grounds of Valentines Mansion, a house built in 1696. The park was formed from land bought and donated between 1898 and the 1920s. It holds a Green Flag Award and was ranked among Britain’s ten best parks in 2019. The mansion was once home to Sir Charles Raymond, a ship owner and banker with East India Company interests. After the last resident died in 1906, the council acquired the remaining grounds and expanded the park. The park’s history is visible in its Grade II listed mansion and surviving Rococo features. The Gardeners Cottage and the railings and gates are also listed. Cricket was first played here in 1922, and the first Sunday county match took place in 1966 with 6,000 spectators. Valentines Mansion now serves as a historic house and wedding venue. A new swimming lido with indoor facilities is planned for the site of the former open-air pool. Visitors find wide lawns, mature trees including cedars of Lebanon, and manicured shrub beds. Birdwatchers come to spot Marsh Tits and Turtle Doves. The 17th-century Valentines Park Field Maple is one of the Great Trees of London. The park has been used as a filming location for television shows and is said to have inspired a well-known song.