The Chase Nature Reserve

Nature reserve in Dagenham, London, England

A Black Poplar in The Chase. It is Britain's rarest native tree

The Chase is a nature reserve in Dagenham in London. Most of it is in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, with a small part in Havering. It is owned by the boroughs, and managed by London Borough of Barking & Dagenham - Parks & Countryside Ranger Service.[1][2] The boroughs have designated the sections in their respective boroughs as Local Nature Reserves.[3][4] The Chase, together with the neighbouring Eastbrookend Country Park, is also designated a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.[5]

Hooks Hall Pond

The River Rom, which is the boundary between the boroughs, runs through the site, with Barking and Dagenham on the west side and Havering on the east. It was formerly a site of gravel extraction, and now has a diverse range of habitats. The River Rom has birds such as kingfishers, and the 190 species of birds recorded include skylarks, little ringed plovers and lapwings. It is also home to around 300 Green Parakeets who make their presence known with much noise, especially at sunset. Other animals include water voles, great crested newts, slow worms and badgers.[3][6] The Black Poplar is Britain's rarest native tree, and the site has six of only six hundred female trees.[7][8] Dry acid grasslands have some unusual species.[6] Some areas are gazed by horses.[7]

## Access

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The reserve is divided into a wooded narrow strip along the River Rom north of the road called The Chase, and a large more open area with lakes to the south. The wooded strip east of the River Rom, which is in Havering, is crossed by a footpath between Roneo Corner, opposite Rom Valley Way, to The Chase (road). A footpath from Dagenham Road to The Chase (road) goes through the area on the west bank. The southern area is bordered on the west by Eastbrookend Country Park, and is linked by a footbridge over a railway line to Beam Valley Country Park to the south.

## References

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1. ^ "The Chase Local Nature Reserve". Thames Chase Trust. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
2. ^ "Country parks and nature reserves". London borough of Barking and Dagenham. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
3. ^ a b "The Chase - Barking". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
4. ^ "The Chase - Havering". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
5. ^ "The Chase Nature Reserve and Eastbrookend Country Park". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
6. ^ a b "The Chase Nature Reserve". London Borough of Havering. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
7. ^ a b "The Chase Local Nature Reserve". London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
8. ^ "Populus nigra (Black or water poplar)". Natural History Museum. Retrieved 1 November 2013.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Chase Nature Reserve.

* "Map of The Chase - Barking". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England.
* "Map of The Chase - Havering". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England.
* "iGiGL data portal (map)". Greenspace Information for Greater London.

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Local nature reserves in Greater London

Barking and Dagenham|

* Beam Valley
* Beam Valley (Environment Agency)
* Dagenham Village Churchyard
* Eastbrookend Country Park
* Mayesbrook Park South
* Parsloes Park Squatts
* Ripple Nature Reserve
* Scrattons Ecopark and extension
* The Chase - Barking

Barnet|

* Big Wood and Little Wood
* Brent Reservoir/Welsh Harp
* Coppett's Wood and Scrublands
* Glebelands
* Moat Mount Open Space
* Oak Hill Wood
* Rowley Green Common
* Scratchwood
* Totteridge Fields

Bexley|

* Crossness
* Danson Park Bog Garden, Welling
* Foots Cray Meadows
* Lesnes Abbey Woods

Brent|

* Brent Reservoir/Welsh Harp
* Fryent Country Park
* Masons Field

Bromley|

* High Elms
* Jubilee Country Park
* Scadbury Park

Camden|

* Adelaide
* Belsize Wood
* Camley Street Natural Park
* Westbere Copse

Croydon|

* Bramley Bank
* Foxley Wood
* Hutchinson's Bank
* Selsdon Wood
* South Norwood Country Park

Ealing|

* Blondin Park
* Fox Wood
* Grove Farm
* Gunnersbury Triangle
* Islip Manor Meadows
* Litten
* Long Wood
* Northolt Manor
* Perivale Wood

Enfield|

* Covert Way

Greenwich|

* Gilbert's Pit
* Maryon Park
* Maryon Wilson Park
* Oxleas/Shooters Hill Woodlands
* Sutcliffe Park
* The Tarn

Hackney|

* Abney Park Cemetery
* Springfield Park

Hammersmith and Fulham|

* Wormwood Scrubs

Haringey|

* Alexandra Park
* Coldfall Wood
* Parkland Walk
* Queen's Wood
* Railway Fields

Harrow|

* Bentley Priory
* Stanmore Common
* Stanmore Country Park

Havering|

* Bedford's Park
* Cranham Brickfields
* Cranham Marsh
* Ingrebourne Valley
* Rainham Marshes
* The Chase - Havering
* The Manor

Hillingdon|

* Denham Country Park
* Frays Valley
* Gutteridge Wood and Meadows (Yeading Woods)
* Ruislip Local Nature Reserve
* Ten Acre Wood
* Yeading Brook Meadows

Hounslow|

* Bedfont Lakes Country Park
* Chiswick Eyot
* Cranebank
* Duke's Hollow
* Gunnersbury Triangle
* Hounslow Heath
* Isleworth Ait
* Kempton
* Pevensey Road

Islington|

* Barnsbury Wood
* Gillespie Park
* Parkland Walk

Kingston upon Thames|

* Bonesgate Open Space
* Castle Hill
* Coombe Hill Wood
* Edith Gardens
* Elmbridge Open Space
* Ham Lands
* Hogsmill River Park
* Jubilee Wood
* Raeburn Open Space
* Rose Walk
* Southwood Open Space
* Tolworth Court Farm Fields
* The Wood and Richard Jefferies Bird Sanctuary

Lambeth|

* Streatham Common

Lewisham|

* Beckenham Place Park
* Brookmill Road
* Burnt Ash Pond
* Dacres Wood
* Downham Woodland Walk
* Grove Park Nature Reserve
* Sue Godfrey Nature Park

Merton|

* Bennett's Hole
* Cannon Hill Common
* Cherry Wood
* Cranmer Green
* Derwent Floodwash
* Fishpond Wood and Beverley Meads
* Lower Wandle
* Merton Park Green Walks
* Morden Park
* Myrna Close
* Oakleigh Way
* Pyl Brook
* Ravensbury Park
* Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Wood
* Wandle Meadow Nature Park

Redbridge|

* Hainault Lodge

Richmond upon Thames|

* Barnes Common
* Crane Park Island
* Ham Common
* Ham Lands
* Lonsdale Road Reservoir (Leg of Mutton Reservoir)
* Oak Avenue, Hampton

Southwark|

* Dulwich Upper Wood
* Lavender Pond
* Nunhead Cemetery
* One Tree Hill
* Sydenham Hill Wood and Fern Bank

Sutton|

* Anton Crescent Wetland
* Belmont Pastures
* Cuddington Meadows
* Devonshire Avenue Nature Area
* Roundshaw Downs
* Ruffett and Big Woods
* Spencer Road Wetlands
* Sutton Ecology Centre Grounds
* The Spinney, Carshalton
* Wandle Valley Wetland
* Wilderness Island

Tower Hamlets|

* Ackroyd Drive Greenlink
* Mudchute Park and Farm
* Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

Waltham Forest|

* Ainslie Wood

Wandsworth|

* Battersea Park Nature Areas

Westminster|

* St. John's Wood Church Grounds

51°33′22″N 0°11′06″E﻿ / ﻿51.556°N 0.185°E﻿ / 51.556; 0.185
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