Locations

Roadsides, Gardens, Street plantings, Parks, etc.

Road-sides and the front-walls of gardens harbour a variety of plants, either spontaneously occurring or escaping from adjacent front gardens. Those that grow in such locations are subject to removal, sometimes by poisoning, usually by the local council.

Deliberate plantings of street trees and the like are worthy of attention; not only do they have an effect on other types of wildlife, but street trees in particular sometimes offer the opportunity to see unusual species that may otherwise only be found in collections or arboretums.

Included here are some plants - mainly trees - that are found in local parks, and some that may or may not have been deliberately introduced into graveyards.

Stace	Species	Common Name	Location
18	Polypodium vulgare	Polypody	On the top of a wall of the Golden Fleece pub in Capel Road, Manor Park.
22	Phyllitis scolopendrium	Hart's-tongue Fern	Persisted on a damp patch on the railway arch at Wanstead Park Station, Forest Gate, but no longer since the arch was renovated. Has also been seen on the brickwork of Manor Park Station.
24	Asplenium adiantum-nigrum	Black Spleenwort	Front garden wall of a house in Capel Road, Manor Park/Forest Gate.
26	Asplenium ruta-muraria	Wall Rue	Front garden wall of a house in Capel Road, Manor Park/Forest Gate.
26	Ceterach officinarum	Rustyback	Side wall of a house in Ridley Road, Forest Gate.
33	Dryopteris filix-mas	Male Fern	Base of the wall of Wanstead House, Wanstead.
45	Pinus nigra ssp. laricio	Corsican Pine	In Aldersbrook Wood. This may have been planted as a feature when the area was the grounds of a yellow fever hospital. There is one specimen in Alexandra Wood, near Alexandra Lake, and others in the City of London Cemetery.
80	Nigella damascena	Love-in-a-mist	Originating from the adjacent allotments, this was on the roadside verge in the 'lane' extension of Empress Avenue.
85	Clematis vitalba	Traveller's-joy	An extensive growth of this on the banks of the Alders Brook in Little Ilford. Here, and where the brook joins the Roding at the Ilford Bridge, are the only known locations locally.
102	Papaver somniferum	Opium Poppy	On Aldersbrook Road pavement, by the City of London Cemetery wall 13/06/2022
103	Papaver rhoeas	Common Poppy	Occurs sporadically by pavements and elsewhere. This one is in the hedgerow by the Aldersbrook stables paddock.
107	Pseudofumaria lutea	Yellow Corydalis	This is a frequent species to be found growing by front garden walls throughout the area. Also found in Tarzy Wood.
111	Platanus orientalis	Oriental Plane	In a garden by Hollybush Hill. There is another in the private grounds adjacent to Snaresbrook Road next to Gilbert's Slade.
116	Morus nigra	Black Mulberry	In the grounds of St. Gabriel's Church, Aldersbrook.
118	Soleirolia soleirolii	Mind-your-own-business	At the base of my front wall in Capel Road, Forest Gate on 16 March 2012. This patch has since gone, but the species may be found in similar positions along the road.
118	Parietaria judaica	Pellitory-of-the-wall	Once an uncommon plant hereabouts, it has increased substantially over the years. It can be found against front-garden walls, for example, in quite a few of the local roads near to Gladding Road, Manor Park, as well as in the roads near Godwin Road in Forest Gate.
127	Nothofagus dombeyi	Dombey's Southern Beech	An ornamental species in Little Ilford Park.
127	Carpinus betulus var Fastgiata	Fastigiate Hornbeam	Quite a number of these as street trees, where their ascending branches presumably are to take the mass of foliage above the levels of house-windows and clear of the pavements. Chestnut Avenue in Forest Gate has these lining the 'big' length of the road. These replaced the Chestnut trees that gave the name to the road. Unfortunately, the hornbeams do grow to quite a large size, and their seeds are profuse.
127	Corylus avellana	Hazel	An uncommon plant in the area, this one in Tarzy Wood, Wanstead.
127	Carpinus orientalis	Oriental Hornbeam	An ornamental species in Little Ilford Park.
177	Saponaria officinalis	Soapwort	This double-flowered form was on the east bank of the River Roding near to the gardens of houses in Royston Gardens.
186	Fallopia japonica	Japanese Knotweed	A highly-invasive species. This was in a front-garden in Wanstead Park Avenue, Aldersbrook, in 2012, but has since been removed.
192	Rumex cristatus	Greek Dock	Over perhaps the last 10 years the occurence of this species has increased significantly. Mostly found by roadsides, this specimen was in the lane between Empress Avenue allotments and the riding school.
212	Malva moschata	Musk Mallow	Flowering in early November 2011 by the roadside on the very southern edge of Leyton Flats by Highstone in Leytonstone.
214	Malva neglecta	Dwarf Mallow	By Capel Point, Forest Gate, 20 May 2008.
215	Althea rosea	Hollyhock	Probably deliberately seeded or planted, overlooking the golf course extension in Warren Road, Wanstead. 17th June 2009
222	Viola wittrockiana	Garden Pansy	On the pavement by Snaresbrook Station, Wanstead, 7 August 2008, probably as a result of 'guerilla gardening' in the area.
227	Populus nigra 'italica'	Lombardy Poplar	A tree in Aldersbrook Wood.
250	Sisymbrium officinale	Hedge Mustard	This is a common pavement species, often growing around the base of street trees as here by a London Plane in Capel Road, near Wanstead Flats, 27 May 2008.
259	Cardamine hirsuta	Hairy Bittercress	Fairly common at the base of walls by pavements. Also in St Mary's Churchyard, Wanstead, 12 February 2005.
308	Umbilicus rupestris	Navelwort	Growing on a north-facing wall of Manor Park Cemetery and has persisted in this location since the 1970's. I'm afraid to say that it probably arrived there after a holiday in Cornwall, but has persisted and multiplied.
(320)	Hamamelis japonica	Witch Hazel	An ornamental shrub in Manor Park Cemetery. 23 February 2010
329	Filipendula ulmaria	Meadowsweet	On the east bank of the River Roding. 8 July 2008
335	Rubus laciniatus	Cut-leaved Bramble	This specimen is on the east bank of the River Roding in the stretch near the old allotment sites and the sports grounds; 8th July 2008.
368	Eriobotrya japonica	Loquat	In the garden of a house on the newer part of the Aldersbrook Estate. This specimen is now gone.
390	Cotoneaster sp.	Cotoneaster species	This plant was growing at the base of the wall in Capel Road between Whitta and Gladding Roads, Manor Park, during 2016 and into 2017. In May 2017 it was suffering from the effects of council-applied weed-killer and is no longer present.
442	Eucalyptus globulus	Blue Gum/Eucalyptus	A few specimens in the front gardens of houses. Quite unsutable for these small gardens, as these trees grow to an enormous size.
442	Feijoa sellowiana	Feijoa	In a front garden in Wanstead Park Avenue, Aldersbrook.
446	Epilodium montanum	Broad-leaved Willowherb	Grows from the junction of walls and pavements.
455	Euonymus europaeus	Spindle	Evidently another species introduced to Webster's Land, as these aren't known from elsewhere in the area.
457	Mercurialis perennis	Annual Mercury	Relatively common growing from garden walls.
461	Euphorbia helioscopia	Sun Spurge	This specimen was growing at the base of a wall in Wanstead Park Avenue, Aldersbrook.
471	Ailanthus altissima	Tree of Heaven	Between the pavement and the metal railing surrounding Capel Point, Forest Gate. This species suckers readily,and it may be that there is a mature tree nearby.
482	Geranium robertianum	Herb Robert	Herb Robert is a common but attractive 'weed' in the area, often found growing from old mortar in front-garden walls.
485	Erodium cicutarium	Common Stork's-bill	At the edge of the pavement by Capel Point, Forest Gate, 20 April 2007. This is a fairly common plant in the City of London Cemetery,
502	Conopodium majus	Pignut	This was on the east bank of the River Roding. It does occur on the Plain in Wanstead Park, across the river.
525	Nicotania sp.	Tobacco Plant	On some newly-disturbed soil on a roadside verge in Arran Drive, Aldersbrook.
528	Lycopersicon esculentum	Tomato	A fine crop between the rails of Platform 2 of Manor Park Station. Possibly the result of a discarded sandwich..?
585	Buddleja davidii	Buddleia, or Butterfly Bush	Quite common growing in front gardens, and readily seeding to cracks in mortar, even high on houses by the guttering.
585	Olea europaea	Olive	An ornamental tree in Little Ilford Park.
586	Fraxinus angustifolia	Claret Ash	Occasional as a garden or street tree. This specimen is in Wanstead Park Avenue.
594	Pawlonia tomentosa	Foxglove Tree	In Manor Park Cemetery
598	Cymbalaria muralis	Ivy-leaved Toadflax	This happy little plant is fond of establishing itself in the mortar of front walls, so is common everywhere.
609	Melampyrum pratense	Common Cow-wheat	In Gilbert's Slade; the only known location in the area.
624	Rhinanthus minor	Yellow Rattle	Apart from a small amount found on Wanstead Flats, this is the only other known occurence of this species in the area.
627	Orobanche sp.	Broomrape	Some uncertainty about this identification. The plant was past its best, but may have been Orobanche elatior; there was a considerable amount of Knapweed in the vicinity.
642	Lobelia erinus	Garden Lobelia	Sporadic and not persisting. This one was growing from a crack in the pavement kerbstone.
647	Galium verum	Lady's Bedstraw	On the east bank of the River Roding, opposite Wanstead Park.
651	Viburnum opulus	Guelder-rose	By Manor Pond, Gilbert's Slade. An uncommon plant in the area, and almost certainly deliberately introduced when the pond was renovated in 2008/9.
651	Sambucus nigra 'laciniata'	Cut-leaved Elder	This was in Webster's Land, Little Ilford. Cut-leaved Elder is a cultivar of the common Elder, and may become naturalised.
651	Sambucus ebulus	Dwarf Elder	By the edge of the Empress Avenue allotments. The plant was soon strimmed out of existence.
657	Valerianiella locusta	Common Cornsalad	Only two locations known in the area, this plant was found and photographed by Roger Snook. The other location is Latimer Road, Forest Gate, but that may not be the same species.
718	Pulicaia dysenterica	Common Fleabane	Common Fleabane is an uncommon plant in the area, known only from this location and from the east end of the Perch Pond in Wanstead Park. These were photographed during an open day at the court, but generally it seems that photography is not encouraged in court premises.
728	Bellis perennis	Daisy	This one in St. Mary's Churchyard, Wanstead, but common elsewhere, for example in roadside verges.
747	Calendula officinalis	Pot Marigold	On the pavement by the golf course railings, Warren Road, Wanstead.
753	Galinsoga parviflora	Gallant Soldier	On the pavement in the 1970s Aldersbrook Estate.
753	Galinsoga quadriradiata	Shaggy Soldier	Shaggy Soldier is plentiful along the pavement and in the kerbs of Godwin Road, Forest Gate, near to the Forest Gate Hotel, and found in similar environments elsewhere.
776	Phoenix canariensis	Canary Palm	Occasionally planted in gardens, but are scarcely hardly in this part of Britain. This one in Wanstead Park Avenue is no longer present.
776	Trachycarpus fortunei	Chusan Palm	The specimen photographed is in a front garden in Warren Road, Wanstead. There is a particularly fine tree in a front garden by the Romford Road in Little Ilford.
798	Schoenoplectus lacustris	Bulrush	By Frying Pan Pond in the Gilbert's Slade area of southern Epping Forest.
801	Galium eragrostis	Pale Galingale	Only seen growing in the gutter of Wanstead Park Avenue, Aldersbrook.
816	Carex pendula	Pendulous Sedge	The specimen photographed was in Tarzy Wood, Wanstead, but it can often be found in front gardens where it can be a pervasive weed.
855	Briza maxima	Large Quaking Grass	A few of these plants were growing at the base of front-garden walls in adjacent houses in Wanstead Park Avenue, Aldersbrook.
927	Musa spp.	Banana	The impressive plant photographed was in the small back garden of a house adjacent to Browning Road, Leytonstone.
943	Galanthus nivalis	Snowdrop	In St. Mary's Churchyard, Wanstead, and in Aldersbrook Wood.
945	Narcissus spp.	Daffodil	Certainly not of wild origin, but sometimes introduced into areas outside of parks and gardens, such as here in Aldersbrook Wood.
949	Ruscus aculeatus	Butcher's Broom	Only known to occur - apart from perhaps in parks and cemeteries - as a single plant in Aldersbrook Allotments. Whether this was planted deliberately is uncertain, as it wasn't on one of the plots.
956	Crocus tommasinianus	Early Crocus	The photograph is an example from Tarzy Wood in Wanstead. It also grows in the grass verge along St. Mary's Avenue, Wanstead.

Wanstead - a light-hearted look at where and what it is

Wanstead is an area of east London approximately 6.85 miles north-east of the City of London. This distance is taken from St Paul's Cathedral to Christ Church near Wanstead High Street, and is as a Crow (Corvus corone) flying in an incredibly straight line, might fly.

It is an east London suburb which still has something of the feel of a village about it - though only just. It is located between the River Lee (or Lea) to the west, which is the historical boundary between Middlesex and Essex, and the River Roding to the east; which is the more recent boundary between the postal districts of London and Ilford, Essex.

In 2007 the census details gave a population of 87661, although this also includes the neighbouring area of Leyton, because Wanstead is part of the Parliamentary Constituency of Leyton and Wanstead.

Wanstead is in Greater London, part of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is also in Essex. In fact, so deep rooted is the fact that Wanstead is in Essex (that is, east of the River Lee or Lea) that many inhabitants insist that letters sent to them via the Royal Mail postal service are addressed as "Wanstead, Essex". This is despite the fact that they are actually in Leytonstone, LONDON, E11, as far as Royal Mail's routing codes (addresses) for letters are concerned.

But Wanstead is greater than a routing code; the Red Bridge itself (or at least the bridge that replaced the Red Bridge) is to the east, crossed by the Eastern Avenue (the A12); beyond is Redbridge. This is part of Ilford (in the London Borough of Redbridge), but definitely in Essex if only because the postal addresses say so (ILFORD, Essex, IG...)

Just to the west of Wanstead is that part of Wanstead which is called Snaresbrook, and a little further west still the Borough boundary is crossed, and Waltham Forest (London Borough of) is entered. Here we are in Walthamstow (LONDON, E17), so we have left Wanstead.

But Wanstead contains within its boundaries a little known marvel - Wanstead Park. It is part of Epping Forest as is Wanstead Flats - although these are not in Wanstead!

Other areas - not in Wanstead - but within the remit of WWL, are Bush Wood, Leyton Flats and Gilbert's Slade - all parts of Epping Forest. Wanstead Park is separated only by a single road from Bush Wood. This in turn, is separated only by the Green Man roundabout from Leyton Flats (in fact, adjacent to Leytonstone). Leyton Flats is not flats (ie high-rise buildings) at all - but a mainly flat area of grassland - with lots of trees and shrubs! It is part the London Borough of Walthamstow, which we entered north of Snaresbrook.

Just across the Snaresbrook Road, north of Leyton Flats, the Forest of Epping continues northwards through an area known as Gilbert's Slade. It is not far from Wanstead, and adjacent to it, and the wildlife (I'll get round to that in more detail) is just as interesting, so it has been included in the "in and around Wanstead" label. But at the north end of Gilbert's Slade, Epping Forest has been gashed more severely even than at the Green Man roundabout in Leytonstone. Thus this part of Epping Forest is probably known more to drivers than to naturalists. It is Waterworks Corner. And here - at least in a northerly direction - it is convenient to limit the extent of "in and around Wanstead"

The western delineation is quite conveniently made by the edge of Epping Forest itself, down to Whipps Cross roundabout.

And what about the southern boundary? It follows Capel Road and Forest View Road by Wanstead Flats. By "the Flats" are the enclaves of Lake House and Aldersbrook - both rather nice estates of houses adjacent to parts of Epping Forest. The Lake House estate is situated between Bush Wood and Wanstead Flats and is in Leytonstone E11 (or Wanstead, Essex) in the London Borough of Redbridge, and Aldersbrook is situated between Wanstead Park and Wanstead Flats and is in Manor Park E12 (or Wanstead, Essex) - in the London Borough of Redbridge.

Part of the south edge of Wanstead Flats abuts on to Forest Gate in the London Borough of Newham. This is the Forest Gate that is LONDON, E7, although it is probable that a few people would prefer to be in Wanstead, Essex. The nearest railway station in Forest Gate to Wanstead Flats is Wanstead Park, so this may support their claim (though not their routing code). The other part of the south edge of Wanstead Flat - more to the east - are adjacent to Manor Park, which is LONDON E12. The Flats themselves are in Redbridge (mostly).

The western edge of Wanstead Flats, nearer to Forest Gate, still abuts on to Forest Gate (E7), although in the vicinity of the Jubilee Pond, the houses in Forest Gate are in the London Borough of Walthamstow. Indeed, by Sidney Road in Forest Gate, even what is considered here to be part of Wanstead Flats (LB Redbridge - remember?) is in LB Waltham Forest. Further north - across Lakehouse Road, the houses that act as a boundary to the Flats are in Leytonstone (E11). The Flats here merge into Bush Wood.

So that brief outline encompasses Wanstead itself, (the village/town), and neighbouring parts of Epping Forest which are incorporated into the study area dealt with here. But still - where to stop? Because the wildlife doesn't necessarily stop anywhere; it is no revelation to anybody that a totally wild fox may be seen wandering through any of the streets, housing estates or forest already mentioned.

Within Wanstead - for example St Mary's churchyard - or near to it (eg the City of London Cemetery or the Alders Brook) are areas of "wild" or semi-wild habitats that have a host of wildlife. They also have a host of non- "wild" life, particularly species of plants that have been deliberately introduced but nevertheless contribute enormously to the diversity of habitats, species and the ecology of the area.

"Wanstead Wildlife" then will strive to take account of the area primarily looking at the animals, birds and plants that may be found here, something of the history which has led to how it is today, a little of the ecology of the area, and issues that arise relating to these aspects.

Main Menu

Type of Wildlife

Wildlife Sites

Locations

Roadsides, Gardens, Street plantings, Parks, etc.

Wanstead - a light-hearted look at where and what it is

Subcategories

Other Locations Article Count: 30

Wanstead Flats Article Count: 19

Aldersbrook Article Count: 10

Wanstead Park Article Count: 22

Sewage Works Article Count: 7

City of London Cemetery Article Count: 10

Featured Links