Do You Know The Land Of The Fanns?

In south Essex, an ambitious five-year project is aiming to restore the ancient landscapes that make the Land of the Fanns unique

The Land of the Fanns – an intricate landscape famous for trade, commerce and industry – is an area of south west Essex and the urban fringes of east London, that were once part of Essex. A landscape often misunderstood, it occupies the spaces between suburban Brentwood, Basildon, Grays and Romford; a crossroads landscape often traveled through and impacted by centuries of human intervention. But it also offers hidden delights that reward the visitor through further exploration.

In 2016, a pioneering partnership of local authorities, Forestry England, Thames21 and Thames Estuary Partnership, led by Thames Chase Trust, was awarded a £1.36million National Lottery Heritage Fund grant to deliver a five-year Landscape Partnership Scheme in this area.

The scheme aims to manage positively the historic landscapes in this area and will also work on engaging local communities in an appreciation and celebration of the heritage on their doorstep while hoping to build lasting partnerships, better equipped to protect and maintain it into the future. Now into its third year, the scheme is at its mid-way point with many projects showing progress and delivering positive outcomes.

27 projects make up the Land of the Fanns Scheme and they concentrate on a number of key heritage components, each reflecting a critical part of the story of the natural, archaeological and built heritage of the area. The Land of the Fanns, covering approximately 185km2, is a region of contrasts with established urban zones lying next to valuable fragments of historic landscapes and unique natural habitats. At its heart is Thames Chase Community Forest.

NATURAL HERITAGE