1. Rainham War Memorial bus stop

There’s quite a lot to see around this stop, some of which has already been seen on bus route 103. Start off at The Rainham war memorial which has an interesting design, with its hexagonal short tower and clock faces on three of its sides. The names of the war dead are inscribed on two of the sides and red poppy wreaths surround the Memorial to commemorate further the area’s dead soldiers. In the same vicinity is St Helen’s and St Giles Church, the oldest church in the borough, dating back to Norman times. Remarkably, it stands as it was built, with chancel, nave, aisles and tower. It is dedicated to St. Helen, or Helena (c. 247–327AD) who was reputedly British and by her marriage to a Roman Officer became the mother of Constantine the Great; and St. Giles (c.7th century), who was Greek.

Do try to visit when it’s open – the doors were closed on this visit – because there are some unique features that are inside, such as the arrangement of the six small windows in the east wall of the chancel, and the eye-like shaping of the six clerestory windows. There are three 17th century bells in the tower, which are no longer able to be rung due to their supports being too decayed.

As you wend your way round the corner to Rainham Hall, you’ll cross over the old High Street which has been transformed from Georgian homes to some unique shops and you could be forgiven for doubting that you are actually in London.

And so to Rainham Hall, now owned and managed by the National Trust. There is an entrance fee to the hall but it is possible to get a good feel for its majesty by looking at the coach house and stables, now converted to the reception area and a small exhibition room. The gardens alone are worthy of a detour. The house was built in 1729 in Queen Anne style and was designed as a home, for a merchant, to be lived in and used. That merchant was Captain John Harle (1688-1742), from a northern coal and shipping family who, after many years on the seas trading with various countries, settled in London. The property passed through many families over the years and it was during WWII that it was used as a day nursery. As so many of the men were off fighting, the women were required to work but had no place to leave their children. This was one of many wartime nurseries and the children here had the run of the house and garden.

The community garden provides an oasis of green space for visitors of all ages to explore and enjoy, for free, all year round. It’s a haven for a variety of urban wildlife, including butterflies, birds and amazing insects. Children are encouraged to discover what’s hidden in the garden and are given resources to help them. Look for the mosaics on the ground, the pergola surrounded by sumptuous greenery and at this time of year (spring), the spray of flowers.

Still at the same bus stop, look out for bronze pavement tokens along the road. There’s a trail of 12 tokens embedded into the pavement commemorating significant historical events and famous people of Rainham from medieval times to the twenty-first century. The tokens resemble those produced by towns after the civil war when there was a shortage of coinage.

The few captured here represent bygone times – there’s one from the Rainham Wharf with the words: “Raynham Wharf is made commodious for receiving or loading of the largest Timbers, Stones or other goods. By Cap. John Harle”. Another reads “Rainham Village Post Office 02 Ap 1912”, outside the site of what was once the local post office. Others represent Joslin restaurant 1905, a blacksmith and a shoe shop.

One final thing before getting back on the bus is a large mural depicting Rainham with its Hall and Church. It’s by artist Peter O’Connor and is called Objectif. The local council wanted to liven up the area and this mural is felt to be a positive contribution, based as it is between the old village and the rather more modern Tesco superstore.

2. Mungo Park Road/South End Road bus stop

Alight here to go to Hornchurch Country Park with its pretty ornamental lake and an abundance of wildlife. Along the way, you’ll pass Albyns Farm – from the lane, you can only see the Grade II detached, 17th century, two-storey farmhouse. The land immediately to the north of the farmhouse was used as the base for RAF Hornchurch and became a fighter station in 1928.

Walk along the country lane to get to the Country Park where you can walk to your left or right. The park covers a huge area but walk left and you’ll come to the picturesque Albyns lake, affectionately known as Tit Lake by locals but no-one knows why! It’s apparently a haven for anglers, whether beginner or experienced and the lake is stocked with all manner of fish including carp, pike and tench.

3. Elm Park station bus stop

In all honesty, this stop could be omitted because there isn’t much of interest to see. However, as I already had it on my itinerary, I got off the bus just to check. There’s definitely a feel of 1930s suburbia, with its parades of shops with flats above. The shopping area is kept remarkably clean and tidy, most of the shops are independent and there’s the usual abundance of cafés, as is usual in suburbia these days.

The story behind Elm Park station is interesting in that it came first in 1935, before the spread of residential homes, so the station created the suburb. There’s nothing particularly remarkable about it, in terms of architecture but there is a certain charm to it, with the sloping tunnel leading to the platforms.

4. Hornchurch Town Centre bus stop

The main thing to see here is St Andrew’s Church with its quirky Bull’s Head statue perched at the east end of the roof. As long ago as 1222, the first written reference to the church mentions the “monasterium cornutum” or horned church at Havering. The horns were thought to have been made of lead but when they were repaired in 1824 they were found to be made of copper. 

Other things to look out for on the outside of the church include a 17th century clock, donated by Thomas Brandon in 1674. Little is known about him other than the fact that he was a local benefactor. There is also a singular bell above the main entrance – this is likely a sanctus bell (a small bell typically used in Catholic traditions to mark the consecration of the Eucharist, and often located on the outside). 

St Andrew’s Church, Hornchurch – clock just visible on the tower, the main tower and Bull’s Head

5. Queen’s Theatre bus stop

The Queen’s Theatre is a modern building, significant because of the pretty, older buildings very close by. It’s a replacement of an earlier theatre which had fallen into disuse. Peter Hall officially opened the new theatre on 2 April 1975, with an initial production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Since then and with Arts Council funding, it’s gone from strength to strength. Queen’s prides itself on its reputation as being one of the UK’s leading regional producing theatres — not just a venue that hosts shows, but one that creates its own productions, many of which go on to tour nationally. It’s a very welcoming place and people are actively encouraged to come and use the café and bar areas, not just for pre-performance drinks, but to meet friends and to use as a work space.

Over the road from the theatre is Fairkytes Arts Centre, a community-focused hub that offers a wide range of arts, crafts, and performance activities for all ages, children in particular. It’s housed in a lovely grade II listed building and has a small craft gallery next door where exhibitions are on display from local artists. Currently (April 2026) there is some lovely pottery by Charlotte.

It started life in the mid-18th century as a private house for occupants including Joseph Fry, son of the famous prison reformer Elizabeth Fry. By the 1950s it was used as a library and today it’s definitely in the heart of the community for all sorts of activities.

Still at this bus stop and the final place to visit on this route is Langtons House and Gardens. The House is a Grade II listed 18th Century manor house set in beautiful landscaped gardens with an ornamental lake, orangery and bath house all dating from the eighteenth century. The House belonged to the Massu family, Huguenot refugees from France, who became wealthy silk merchants in the City of London. It was donated to the local council in 1929 under the condition that the building must be used for council purposes and the four acres of grounds to remain open to the public.

Situated within the landscaped gardens is the Orangery. It was constructed at the same time as the house (approximately 1760). The building has a heated rear wall to provide warmth for the plants in winter. The heat was provided from the boiler house, situated at the rear of the orangery. Also in the grounds are a greenhouse, ornamental bridge, entrance pillars, cobbled stable yard and a tea room. There’s no doubt about it, this location is a perfect venue for a wedding – and there happened to be one in full swing at the time of this visit.

Well this was a surprisingly lovely route, being topped and tailed with two beautiful historic homes – Rainham Hall at the start and Langtons House at the end. Maybe because it’s springtime, but it was a pleasure being outdoors and exploring the various parks and lakes and seeing plenty of wildlife. I had a very welcome escort with me – my great-nephew wanted to find out what I do on the buses and he was a charming companion. In fact, having him with me made me see the journey with different eyes – and I wasn’t disappointed!

Toilets that are open to the public and free of charge:

• Rainham Hall
• Queen’s Theatre
• Fairkytes Arts Centre