Tylers Common – a green pocket of old common land in Havering, London

Tylers Common, also known as Upminster Common, is common land in the London Borough of Havering, on the eastern edge of the capital. It covers 32.06 hectares of protected commons and is one of the largest areas of its kind in Greater London. It suits anyone who wants to see a traditional, semi-wild landscape on the fringe of a huge city.

What is Tylers Common?

Common land has a special legal status and was historically used by the local community, for example for grazing animals or gathering wood. Tylers Common is the last substantial area of commonland left in Havering. Its landscape is made up of grassland and scrub, with two ponds. To the south, along Tomkyns Lane and Shepherd's Hill, further strips of common land continue, including an area of oak trees. The site lies in the Green Belt and is designated a Site of Nature Conservation Importance.

Where does the name come from?

The name is usually traced to Old English words meaning a wood where tiles were made (tigel and hyrste). One source says it has nothing to do with Wat Tyler, leader of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt. Clay from the area fed local brick and tile works.

A short history

The common formed part of the manor of Upminster Hall, granted to Waltham Abbey in 1062. In the Middle Ages it was known as "Mannes Land". In 1191 King Richard the Lionheart fined the abbey for enclosing 104 acres of waste land. A record from 1543 calls it "Abbots Wood Common" and describes it as waste and wood. A local historian wrote in 1881 that the area was woodland until around 1800, yet a map published in 1777 does not bear this out, so the exact story of the clearance remains debated.

Upminster Well – a forgotten spring

Near the northern edge of the common stood Upminster Well, a mineral spring in use as far back as 1699. Little remains today: a depression in the ground with a slight seepage of water. For local history fans, it is an intriguing stop on a walk.

The M25 and the old wood

One curiosity: the M25 motorway cuts through a remnant of the former woodland. The contrast between the busy road and the quiet grassland shows how close city and nature sit here.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Tylers Common? In the London Borough of Havering, around Upminster, in eastern Greater London. Coordinates are roughly 51.592 N, 0.259 E.

How big is it? The protected common land covers 32.06 hectares.

Is it the same as Upminster Common? Yes, these are two names for the same place.

What can you see there? Grassland, scrub, two ponds, patches of oak woodland and the trace of an old mineral spring.

Is the site protected? Yes. It lies in the Green Belt and is a Site of Nature Conservation Importance.

Who is it for?

Tylers Common works as a quiet walking destination for visitors to east London, nature lovers and local history enthusiasts. It is not a classic tourist attraction, but a green, little-known place with a long past.