Stunted tree in Hylands Park

Image: © Marathon Taken: 28 Jun 2017

In 1812 the area of land that was to become Hylands Park was agricultural land. The land was bought in 1920 by a family named French who owned the Oak Public House in Victoria Road, Romford. They originally used the land for grazing and as a piggery and it also contained an orchard. In 1925 a large trotting track was laid out which included a track, stands, stables and other facilities. Hornchurch Urban District Council purchased the land in early 1927 and they then developed the public park which became Hylands Park. The trotting track was on occasions used for athletics meetings. Temporary horse stalls were built along the large oval earth track which was also slightly banked to help with the drainage and to help control the trotting buggies. Each race commenced with a rolling start where the horses completed one lap of the quarter mile track and at the drop of a flag they completed a further four laps. The first race meeting was held on Whit Monday 1925 and was attended by a large crowd. The meetings were widely publicised and the owners of trotting horses came from all over the country. What was the trotting track is now the oval path in the eastern part of the park. This photograph is in the south-west corner of the park which just creeps into square TQ5287. See also http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5443948

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