Spitfire lands again at Hornchurch Country Park!

Spitfire lands again at Hornchurch Country Park! - Hornchurch Country Park is going back in time to the Second World War with an exciting new project about to be unveiled in the children's play area!

The Spitfire will be the focal point of a larger, new and exciting play scheme to be installed by Wicksteed Playscapes and London Borough of Havering council with funding from Playbuilder, Lottery and the London Marathon Trust.  

An existing but uninspiring play area is being transformed with creative natural landscaping to include mounds, tunnels, logs and pathways from natural stone.  Wicksteed will also be installing a range of challenging play equipment for both younger and older children which will include a slide, Hurricane and Pendulum swings, a Revolva, G-force and Black Beards Ladder! 

The Spitfire climbing rock is being created on-site using a revolutionary new building technique designed by British mountaineers, based upon considerable climbing experience.  The shape of the spitfire was designed at Wicksteed from which a scale model was sculpted.  The full-size polystyrene form was then transported and positioned on site.  It was then reinforced with a steel mesh before being sprayed on-site with colour-impregnated concrete to a depth of 150mm.  Hand carved foot and hand holds were then added during this process. 

The Spitfire which will be seen flying out from clouds is currently being painted in its instantly recognisable green and beige colours – ready to join the Hornchurch Flying Squadron and bring back some nostalgia to an area that was once a World War Two airfield! 

Don Stewart, Park Project Manager, London Borough of Havering commented, “Havering Council and local children are really excited about the recently installed natural children's play area designed and constructed by Wicksteed Playscapes in Hornchurch Country Park. The park is the premier country park for Hornchurch and is the site of a former World War 1 and 2 Airfield. The design of the play area complements the heritage of the facility perfectly, particularly the bespoke Spitfire climbing feature. The whole design which includes sand, gravel paths, fallen tree logs and other natural materials works well in the rural landscape, and the play equipment chosen is proving really exciting for children from across the borough. The new facility has given the park a fantastic lift.” 

During the First World War an airfield was created at Suttons Farm, from which bi-planes of the Royal Flying Corps took off to defend London from airship attacks.  RAF Hornchurch was later developed, covering most of the Country Park we see today.  During the Second World War, the squadrons of Spitfires based there played an important role in the Battle of Britain.  After the war the airfield was used for air crew training and the RAF station finally closed in 1962.