Some local attractions

Visit the mill

Visit the smock windmill at Upminster. The 17th century smock mill, the last of the three main types to develop, is a variation on the tower mill. It was usually an octagonal, wooden structure with sloping, horizontally weatherboarded sides which resembled a countryman's linen smock from which its name drived. The mill was usually painted white or tarred black and often was set on a brick base to better catch the wind. The corners of the mill were protected with a strip of lead or zinc, however, weatherproofing was always a problem as rain drove through the joints, at the corners, and around the windows and doors.

Visit the barn

Visit Upminster Tithe Barn. This large 15th-century thatched barn contains the Hornchurch and District Historical Society's collections of agricultural implements and domestic items relating to the local area.

Visit the RSPB

Educational Visits to the Rainham Marsh RSPB site are now available for all age groups. Topics include pollution, marshes, rivers, recycling and mini beasts.