Thames Chase Forest Centre

Thames Chase Forest Centre is a large forest in Upminster, Essex. The visitor centre is surrounded by woods, meadows, ponds and paths which have been created from disused farmland. There are plenty of family-friendly things to do and the forest often has a themed trail which you can either join for free or for a small fee for an activity bag.

Amongst the buildings of the Forest Centre, you can still see the original 17th-century Essex barn, stables and farmhouse, formerly Broadfields Farm. Around the site, you will find several ‘environmental’ play areas for kids including snake stepping stones and hollow logs. There are some beautiful views across the whole site. There is a wide network of walking trails and paths throughout the forest.

There are no specific trails for cycling. However, all their trails are accessible for all and there is a 6.5km easy and flat surface trail perfect for families. The Forest Centre hires out bikes over the summer. Why not purchase the My Forest adventure kit for your kids to use in the forest? In the backpack, there’s an activity booklet, foldout binoculars, a magnifier, a collecting tray, forest finds cards, stickers and a pencil.