Parks and countryside

Riverside open space surrounding Coalhouse Fort, a Victorian casemate. Thurrock Council purchased the fort in 1962 with the surrounding land then becoming public open space. From 1983, the Fort has been leased to the Coalhouse Fort Project, a group of volunteers working to preserve the Fort. The surrounding open space is of considerable amenity and ecological value given its SSSI and RAMSAR sites which are managed by the Ranger. There is a Small Playspace within the park with swings, slides and a zipwire. The building is opened to the public 18 days a year by the Coalhouse Fort Project. The Fort is undergoing its first major restoration in its history following emergency funding from English Heritage and money from Thurrock Council and the Coalhouse Fort Project totalling £200,000.