Majestic trees in Havering
An avenue of Sequoia trees
Giant Sequoia trees tower over you as you walk along an avenue in Havering Country Park. There are about a hundred of these magnificent trees in what is the second largest plantation of the species in England.
Wellingtonia trees
Giant Sequoia trees were discovered during the Californian Gold rush around 1850. They were called Wellingtonia in honour of the Iron Duke. They are the biggest trees in their native California and reach a height of 100 metres. The Wellingtonias in the park are young compared to the oldest known tree which is around 4,000 years old.
Varied habitats
There is a variety of different woodland habitats in the Havering Country Park. Silver birch, pine, gorse and bracken grow well in the pebbly and sandy soil on the higher ground. Oak, hornbeam and bramble thrive on the heavier and damper London Clay soils of the lower slopes and valley.
A home for birds
The park is home for birds such as goldcrest and coal tit. The goldcrests visit the park in winter and breed there in spring. At night in they huddle into holes in the soft Wellingtonia bark and fluff up their back feathers for extra warmth. During May, the high-pitched song of the goldcrest can be heard from the top of pines and Wellingtonias where they build their nests.
All three species of British woodpecker breed in the park and the green woodpeckers feed on any hills in some of the grassy clearings.
Submitted by: Tosh Lee, 01 April 2007
