Activities in Romford

Get out and explore the great outdoors with a visit to the nearby Hainault Forest Country Park. This beautiful 330-acre expanse of lakes and verdant woodland forest is a stunning place to walk around on a sunny day. It’s a former royal hunting forest, which once spanned 3,000 acres and was home to large populations of deer. It’s still a wonderful home for nature. Plus, if you’re visiting with young family, you can pop over to the children’s zoo where all kinds of wildlife, including goats, peacocks, meerkats and parrots can be found.

Another beautiful park worth a walk around is Raphael Park, the lovely lakeside area just off Romford’s Main Road. You can always rely on the park being perfectly clean and tidy. It’s beautifully landscaped to ensure its as serene a place for a picnic as possible. You can feed the ducks with your crusts and enjoy a cup of tea on the terrace of the park’s restaurant. There’s lots of wildlife, lovely views and a local running club, as well.

Romford’s third and final park worth mentioning is Bedfords Park. It’s just north of the town centre and less than a ten-minute drive from our Romford West hotel. It’s a lovely nature reserve that spans more than 200 acres of woodland walking trails and red deer habitat and is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. There’s a modern visitor centre where you can find out all about the local wildlife, as well as a cafe if you get peckish during your visit.

If you’re interested in learning about the local history of Havering, make your way to the Havering Museum on Romford High Street. This fascinating museum is housed in what was formerly the Romford Brewery. It has two permanent galleries, which delve into the rich history of the area, as well as a temporary exhibition space that’s always interesting, too.

If you’re visiting our London Romford Mercury Gardens hotel with young family, then you’ll want to make the short 15-minute trip to Old MacDonald’s Farm. It’s a fantastic day out with the kids, where they can ride on the amusement park rides, pet giant tortoises, see reindeer and meet their favourite television characters, such as Peppa Pig.

Don your skates and pay a visit to Sapphire Ice & Leisure for a fun-filled couple of hours at Romford’s local ice rink. It’s a full-size rink, and it’s in excellent condition, which is a lot more than can be said for many ice rinks around the country. It’s also home to the local ice hockey team, the Romford Raiders. See if you can catch one of their home matches during your stay. The quality is high, and it’s always an entertaining option here in Romford.