Harold’s Park (Nattergal)
Harold’s Park Wildland Masterplan and Illustration by Quentin Martin (2024)
Harold's Park Wildland, located in the Epping Forest District, serves as a key environmental project aimed at reconnecting millions of city dwellers with nature. The project, led by Nattergal, seeks to enhance biodiversity and encourage people to engage with the natural environment in their urban surroundings.
Nattergal's role as custodian offers a unique opportunity to foster environmental improvements such as water purification, habitat restoration, better soil health, and flood risk reduction. In addition to these ecological benefits, the project aims to create local employment opportunities and provide educational experiences for children in both London and Essex, allowing them to explore and immerse themselves in nature.
Although Harold's Park might initially appear lacking in biodiversity, Nattergal have uncovered valuable habitats, including ancient woodlands, veteran oaks, species-rich grasslands, ponds, scrubland and scrapes. These untamed treasures provide Nattergal with the perfect foundation to begin nature’s healing process, sparking a transformation that promises to bring both wildlife and people together in harmony.
One of the most exciting prospects for Harold’s Park is the restoration of its waterways, which could play a pivotal role in reviving rare species lost to decades of intensive farming. These rejuvenated streams and ponds will become lifelines for wildlife, creating rich habitats that beckon back creatures long absent from the land.
Harold’s Park is steeped in history, its roots stretching back to the days when it served as a deer hunting ground for King Harold II. Over the centuries, the land transformed, becoming an agricultural hub before evolving into the dynamic landscape it is today. In the 1950s, Scottish farmer John Mackie acquired the farm with a vision that went beyond traditional food production. He saw Harold’s Park as a place where farming could coexist with nature, planting trees and inviting the public to experience the countryside's beauty.
In the 1970s, Mackie’s son George took over the farm's tenancy and expanded its horizons. Under his stewardship, the farm diversified beyond its arable roots. George established an equestrian business, added the charm of Christmas tree farming, and opened the park’s ponds, enriching the landscape with both leisure and purpose.
In 2024, Nattergal stepped in with a bold vision, purchasing the site to rewild and restore its natural beauty. Now, under Nattergal’s custodianship, Harold’s Park embarks on an exciting new chapter. The land will be nurtured back to its wild roots, allowing wildlife to return.
Harold’s Park lies just a stone’s throw from London, offering a unique opportunity for city dwellers to escape into the wild without having to travel far. Its proximity to the capital makes it a convenient destination for millions, providing an accessible gateway to the wonders of the natural world.
For those living in London and Essex, the rewilding of Harold’s Park opens up a chance to reconnect with nature in a way that few urban cities can offer. Within an easy reach of the city, families, schools, and individuals can explore landscapes teeming with wildlife.
The restored wetlands will attract cranes—majestic birds that had vanished from the region. The Brown Hairstreak Butterfly will also play a crucial role in the rewilding of Harold’s Park, symbolising both the fragility and resilience of the ecosystem. This rare and beautiful butterfly, once widespread, has suffered due to habitat loss, particularly the destruction of hedgerows and woodland edges. As the butterfly flutters through the restored meadows and woodland edges, it will help pollinate wildflowers, contributing to the regeneration of native plant species, including Yellow Flag Iris and white waterlilies near the park’s wetlands. Its delicate wings will be a sign that Harold’s Park is once again becoming a thriving, interconnected ecosystem—a place where even the smallest species play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature. Among the butterflies, the restoration will also see the return of the striking Marbled White Butterfly, which will flutter through the park’s sunlit meadows, contributing to the pollination of species like Broad-leaved Helleborine, an elegant orchid that will once again grace Harold’s Park.
A few examples of the species that will inhabit Harold’s Park Wildland
Beyond the water’s edge, the woodlands will become a refuge for red kites, which will soar above the ancient forest. Long-eared owls will make their home in the restored hornbeam coppice and veteran oaks, their timeless canopies providing shelter and sustenance for a rich variety of birdlife and mammals. The return of the Red-backed Shrike and Goshawk will bring back the thrill of natural predation. Known for its sharp hunting skills, the Red-backed Shrike (often referred to as the "butcher bird" for its habit of impaling prey on thorns) will make its home in the park’s hedgerows and scrubland, where it can hunt insects, small mammals, and birds.
On the ground, Nattergal plans to bring back New Forest ponies and White Park cattle, large herbivores that will naturally manage the landscape through grazing, helping to maintain a balanced ecosystem. These animals will encourage the growth of wildflowers and support the return of pollinators like bees. As the park’s meadows and hedgerows come alive, they’ll also support smaller species such as grass snakes and Harvest mice. Hornbeam coppice and majestic veteran oaks will continue to stand tall, becoming the backbone of Harold’s Park’s restored natural beauty and providing shelter to the Goshawk and Lesser-spotted woodpecker.
This rewilding project will not only restore the wildlife that once graced Harold’s Park but will also offer a sanctuary for people, giving them a space to reconnect with the land and witness the rebirth of a vital ecosystem—one where New Forest ponies, red kites, cranes, and even the delicate Brown Hairstreak Butterfly can coexist in perfect harmony.
