East Ham
20ac/8ha
Grid ref: TQ 429 824
Updated 31/12/2023.
Available also via books and apps – click here for details.
Mouse over links for pictures; click for detail page.
The church of St Mary Magdalene in East Ham has the largest churchyard in London and this has been turned into a nature reserve. It has grassland, hedges, scrub, mature and young trees, a small raised pond and, of course, gravestones, a distinct microhabitat supporting mosses and lichens. Here you will find a good selection of insects, reptiles such as slow worms, grass snakes and common lizards, and sometimes migrant birds like blackcap and whitethroat stop off to nest.
Visiting
Entrance on Norman Road, just north of the A13 near Beckton Alps.
District line tube to East Ham; DLR to Beckton; several bus services.
Open Tuesday to Friday 10am–5pm; Sundays 2pm–5pm (4pm in winter).
Disabled access to ground floor of visitor centre. Wheelchair trail with raised outdoor displays.
Guide dogs welcome, but other dogs strictly prohibited.
Phone 020 8470 4525.
.jpg)