Starting at STRATFORD, along the HIGH STREET

Stratford High Street was set in its present alignment around 1115, when Queen Matilda or Empress Maud as she was sometimes known, commanded commanded that bridges should be built over the 5 channels of the river Lea and that a raised cause way should be built to link them. Before then the road crossed the Lea further north at Old Ford.

371-373 Stratford High Street. This building extending as far as Bridge Road, was originally the Borough Theatre and Opera House, erected in 1895. It was therefore fitting that Beethoven should be featured on the building. The Borough was one of the largest theatres in London and had room for more than 3000 people. The theatre opened with Sir Henry Tree's company from the Haymarket Theatre performing Henry IV part 1. Later, they put on grand opera, and one of the companies that sang here was the Carl Rosa Opera Company. But in 1933 it was converted into the Rex Cinema and in 1969 it became a Bingo Hall. These changes of use may account for Beethoven's look of displeasure. The name of the Borough Theatre is still visible high over Beethoven's head, when viewed from the far side of the dual carriage way.

Whimsical figures including  a horse with a snail on its head and what looks like a dodo perched on the back of a galloping unicorn.

In 1814, the London Bridge house committee came along and marked one of bridges as being the responsibility of the City of London. Unfortunately they marked the wrong one. As a result St Thomas's Bridge became Pegshole Bridge and vice versa. The mill owners who had previously been responsible for the upkeep of the marked bridge did not complain because they now had a smaller bridge which was cheaper to maintain.

4 pairs, BAZALGETTE 1865

Yellow, red, black bricks, with stone dressings.

Hipped slated roofs, symmetrical with projecting gable wings. Tall stone-capped chimney stacks

Gauged brick arches with polychrome vossoirs.

Recessed round headed sash windows.

Red brick impost bands to GFl w.

Raised brick chill band to FFl w.

Central panelled entrance doors. Fanlights.

CHANNELSEA ISLAND was the site of the ABBEY MILL, owned by QUEEN MATILDA to BARKING ABBEY as part of an endowment for BOW and CHANNELSEA BRIDGES. Rebuilt several times, it was finally destroyed during WW2.

Now, a wildlife heaven as a refuge for breed8ng moorhens

Islamic Trust 

Former pumping station, in disuse since 1970?

A community garden which has escaped development thanks to the archaeological findings of the ABBEY remains  (GATEHOUSE)

A SAVIGNIAC abbey which became CISTERCIAN (after the merger in 1147  Abbey of Stratford Langthorne (meaning Long Thorn) is no longer standing. It was home to the “WHITE MONKS”, who followed the strict observance of austerity as commanded the BENEDICTINE RULE. 

Founded in 1135 by William de MONTFICHET who succeeded his father (although he dropped his name) Robert GERNON as owner of one of the local manors. 
The other manor was given to RANULPH PEVEREL.

With the NORMAN CONQUEST new owners (Norman families) took over England. MONTIQUET is a Norman village. There was a MOUNTFICHET CASTLE/TOWER in the CITY. STANSTED MONTFICHET, HERTFORDSHIRE, was another of the GERNON family manors

In the DB GERNON appears as GRENO.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY owned part of the land, as well

This Abbey was an important centre for four centuries, a wealthy institution, owner of much land in ESSEX (WEST HAM, LEYTON, BURSTEAD, BIGGIN in CHADWELL ST.MARY, MONKHAMS, in WOODFORD). 

The religious house was surrounded by buildings for lay brothers and hospitality. There were also workshops for brewing, shearing, weaving and tannery with farm buildings to service the extensive holdings and mills on the Bow Back Rivers. Some of these were tidal mills, like those at Three Mills. These were owned by the Abbey, but the surviving mill was built much later.

It was the fifth largest in England – as important as its sister Abbeys at Jervaulx, Rievaulx and Fountains, all in North Yorkshire.

In 1267, for a time, the Abbey became the court of Henry III for the visitation of the Papal legates

For a brief period in 1267 HENRY III made this his headquarters in his struggles with SIMON DE MONTFORT.and it was here that he made peace with the barons under the terms of the Dictum of Kenilworth.

During his rule, Montfort called two famous parliaments: the Oxford Parliament stripped Henry of his unlimited authority, while the secondincluded ordinary citizens from the towns.^[5] For this reason, Montfort is regarded today as one of the progenitors of modern parliamentary democracy.

It ceased existence in 1538 in the reign of HENRY VIII at the time of the DISSOLUTION of the monasteries.

After the suppression, a small hamlet developed locally was called WEST HAM ABBEY. Some monastic buildings were adapted for private use. The GATEHOUSE became a high status dwelling, further extended to the Northin the same century. A brick wall was erected to the East.

The next two centuries brick lined CESSPITS were constructed to provide the household with better sanitation.

An 18th c. Watercolour by FRANCIS GROSE depicts the gatehouse,

With the industrial encroachment, In 1825 it was demolished, while mid-19th c. all other visible traces of the ABBEY had disappeared.

The GRAT GATE was discovered in 1973, and and reburied for proteccions. In 2008 they were uncovered area, and hitherto unexcavated areas were investigated. 

Some parts which were neglected and  fell into dereliction were quarried for stone and that explains why some of the masonry is thought to have been preserved and is now in ALL SAINTS CHURCH, West Ham. KEYSTONE. The stone illustrated shows five skulls, and is thought to have been over the entrance to the Charnel House of the Abbey.

WINDOW FRAME. There is also a double window frame, but this was under wraps for repairs in 2006-7. The latter did not come directly from the abbey. For some of the stonework was rescued from the ruins of the abbey and was used in building the Adam and Eve public house.

The street follow the access line to the abbey.

Was langthorn an ingredient for making bread?

Was the site of the abbey bakery?

The chevrons from this device, originally from the arms of the Mountfitchet family, together with an abbot's crozier were incorporated into the arms of the former County Borough of West Ham in 1887. The same arms were adopted by the new London Borough of Newham in 1965.

The Crockett International Leather Cloth Company, operating from Newark, New Jersey (USA) and West Ham, London (England), manufactured artificial leather and other textiles at its factory on Abbey Road from 1855. As The Leather Cloth Co Ltd, it continued to produce cloth until the works were shut down in 1961. In common with other businesses, following the First World War the firm raised a memorial to commemorate those staff that died during the conflict. This stood within the factory premises,

They would have been less happy with one of the curates of this church, William Dodd, who later got into financial difficulties, signed someone else's name on a promissory note, was found guilty of forgery and in 1777 was publicly hanged.b

the baptismal font, dated 1707, which bears the name of three churchwardens instead of the usual two (the ancient parish was once divided into three wards and the custom continues); and the other is the clock in the tower, made in 1857 to Lord Grimthorpe's design, and the prototype of Big Ben

“Our vision is to bring hope to the people of East London. We aim to play our part in seeing a renaissance: restoring lives, revitalising churches and renewing culture.

We are a diverse, dynamic and fast-growing church formed of multiple East London parishes. We have been commissioned as a resource church to serve young people, train diverse leaders and plant churches in partnership with a network of friends”.

Perhaps the monks would have had a slight consolation from the fact that at least the pub had a biblical name. It has been closed for decades.

Land originally part of UPTON HOUSE (later called HAM HOUSE) ESTATE.

WILLIAM ROOKE inherited it and, in 1559, enlarged it. Alderman of London and barrister ROBERT SMYTH, and son SIR JAMES (LM London, 1684) followed.

In 1752 RN Admiral JOHN ELLIOTT, governor of NEWFOUNDLAND purchased it, followed in 1752 by JOHN FOTHERGILL (physician, philanthropist, Quaker, social and prison reformer) who enlarged it and created a sizeable botanic garden (“second only to Kew!”). He accepted plants in lieu of fees.  Greenhouses and hothouses contained plants from exotic countries, the first tea plants ever seen in England… and he paid artists to paint them. After his death all was sold off.

JOHN SHEPPARD  (executor) acquired the site in 1787, being succeeded by son in law SAMUEL GURNEY, banker and philanthropist, involved in penal reform in criminal justice, in the antislavery campaign, in the creation of hospitals, in the defence of dockers. His main seat was EARLHAM HALL, nowadays the admin centre of UNI.OF E.ANGLIA.

His sister was ELIZABETH FRY, who lived in UPTON LANE HOUSE.

Succeeded by JOHN GURNEY, who lived in NORFOLK (and died in Paris in 1856). He was the big cheese of GURNEY’S (and BIRBECK’S, BARCLAY’S, BUXTON’S) BANK. 

The house was demolished in 1872. The GURNEYS gave a £10.000 contribution towards the purchase of the estate by the CORPORATION, who paid £100.000, and opened it as an open space (op. by the LM).

GUSTAV PAGAGENSTECHER was key to the establishment of the park. He joined the GURNEY family and was influential in the sale.

He became Deputy Chairman of the Parks Committee until his death in 1916.

As he was a keen cricketer had pitches put in the park. A plaque remembers him in the ORNAMENTAL BRIDGE of the WINTER GARDENS. 

The STRATFORD BREWERY CRICKET CLUB played here.

Recently invented LAWN TENNIS shared space.

 Near the west side of the park

It honours a local swimmer who represented GB the 1936 OOGG and crossed the ENGLISH CHANNEL in both directions

UPTON PARK FC played here before huge crowds and maybe inspired the formation of the THAMES IRON WORKS team. 
CLAPHAM ROVERS scored the first FA CUP goal here against the home team.

On the site of earlier farm buildings, belonging to the estate, when farming was the main activity in this area 

Other features

At the top of a small flight of steps near the tennis courts. This is one of a pair of decorative flower urns which came originally from Wanstead House. They were no doubt purchased in the sale when in about 1823 William Pole-Tilney-Long-Wellesley, a nephew of the Duke of Wellington, sold off the contents of the house and gardens after he had squandered away his wife's inheritance. The urns may well date from the time when Samuel Gurney  was living in Ham House and the present West Ham Park was part of his gardens.

This cairn was erected to mark the site where Ham House once stood, and was constructed from some of the masonry from the house that was pulled down in 1872.. A large house had stood here from the 16th century, and was called by various names such as Grove House and Rooke Hall. C. 1770 it was owned by Dr. John Fothergill who planted Botanical Gardens which eventually developed into West Ham Park. On the other side of Upton Lane there had stood a house called Upton House where in 1827 Joseph Lister was born in 1827. Lister was responsible for introducing antiseptic procedures into surgery. Elizabeth Fry, the prison reformer, lived in a house in Portway. Many famous personages visited her here, including Frederick, King of Prussia. West Ham Park was also referred to as Upton Park.

More information 

The 6th BATTALION OF ESSEX REGIMENT was based here.

From 1917 allotments were set up in the park

The 909 BALLOON SQUADRON of the AUXILIARY AIR FORCE used the PAVILION as an emergency HQ (search light, generator, hut installation).

The park was turned into allotments again, a surface air shelter was  built, the MODEL YATCH POND was used as an emergency water supply by the Fire Brigade, the HOME GUARD and the CITY OF LONDON BATTALION staged parades, football matches were organised between different air shelters by international volunteers in the service of peace

Until 2016 a NURSERY in the NE corner produced bedding plants for 5he CITY churchyards and other spaces, and, as well, for state occasions or banquets.

The route follows MARGERY  PARK ROAD and NORWICH ROAD

First option ROUTE towards FOREST GATE

Durning Hall Christian community centre replaced an earlier Durning Hall, founded about 1885 at Limehouse (see here for fuller details). The premises in Woodgrange Road were registered for worship in 1953 (what is now the Aston Mansfield charity shop)  and in 1959 the main buildings of the centre were opened in Earlham Grove, containing a church, hall, offices, gymnasium, and chaplain's flat. A hostel, with shops below, was later completed on the Woodgrange Road frontage.

Durning Hall, which is non-denominational, is administered by the Aston Mansfield charities trust, founded in 1930 by Miss Theodora Durning-Lawrence. It caters for all age-groups. The church of the Holy Carpenter, designed by Shingler and Risden Associates, has a fine altar wall of stained glass.

NOW CHURCH OF CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM

Built as Earlham Hall in the 1870s, for full details, see here. Briefly, it was established in 1879 by John CURWEN, the Congregational minister, for his TONIC-FA-SOLCollege. 
The FOREST GATE SCHOOL OF MUSIC was established here in 1885 by HARDING BONNER.

The Metropolitan ACADEMY OF MUSIC followed on from 1906 until World War II. In 1926 attendance peaked at 5.600 students, becoming the largest music institution in the country). 
The London CO-OPERATIVE offices preceded the arrival of the Cherubim and Seraphim congregation in the 1970s.

Now The Holy Order of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church has its UK headquarters there. Arriving in the 1970s it is one of the earliest African congregations to settle in Newham. As the first African instituted church, it was originally established among the Yoruba people in Western Nigeria in 1925.

A  Christian denomination, based in the power of praying and faith healing. It takes elements from PENTECOSTALISM. 

The TONIC-SOL-FA METHOD of writing music and teaching singing was invented by SARAH ANN GLOVER, 1815.  The NORWICH SOL-FA LADDER was used to teach children (in Sunday Schools, as it was found necessary by a Conference of S.Sch teachers)). The manual was published in 1845.

J. CURWEN established the TONIC-SOL-FA association in 1853 and in 1879 op. his college here to propagate it. He published a periodical from here, as well.

The system was widely adopted for use in education as an easily teachable method in the reading of music at sight.

Second option to FOREST GATE: over the railway line and alongside ODESSA ROAD

Built between 1858 and 1863 by CONGREGATIONAL mi iStreets JABEZZ LEGG ( SEBERT RD church) for women who had worked in the domestic service.  After amalgamation with EDITH WHITTUCK charity became LEGG-WHITTUCK TRUST. Now, part of PATHWAYS charity

Sculptress: Helen Stylianides.

This stone was erected to the memory of two firemen killed in the Silvertown Explosion of January 19th 1917. It is stated that they were killed in the execution of their duty. When fire broke out in one of the factory buildings, Vickers and Snell immediately went on to the site, despite knowing that there were large stocks of explosives there. They were killed in a vast explosion, which soon followed. Another fireman J.J. Betts survived after having been blown 200 feet, while the mangled remains of the fire engine were found nearly quarter of a mile away. The stone can be found slightly to the left of the main path about 60 yards into the cemetery,

This was erected to the memory of Evelina de Rothschild the daughter of Baron Lionel de Rothschild who after being elected to parliament five times previously, finally became, in 1858, the first Jewish MP. Evelina married her cousin Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild and died in childbirth in 1866. Both Ferdinand and Evelina are buried here. Also in the cemetery is the grave of Sir David Salomons who in 1855 became the first Jewish Lord Mayor of London. He was also the first Jew to speak in parliament. When he was elected in 1851, like Lionel de Rothschild he refused to take the inaugural oath "on the true faith of a Christian". But unlike Rothschild, he took his seat and spoke (illegally) in the debate that followed, before being ejected by the Serjeant-at-Arms. The cemetery can only be visited by appointment; but one can get a good view from the West Ham Cemetery next door from where this photo was taken.

The gate, from which the area of Forest Gate eventually took its name, prevented cattle from Wanstead Fats wandering down the high street.You are at the entrance of EPPING FOREST. In a few minutes you will enjoying WANSTEAD FLATS.

The area is thought to have been given legal status as a royal forest by Henry II in the 12th century. At the time it was part of the much larger Forest of Essex, which covered nearly all of the county. The term Forest was a legal term, meaning that Forest Law applied, meaning that only the king had the right to hunt deer. The term did not mean the land was well wooded: the large majority of the Forest of Essexwas agricultural land.

The Forest of Essex gradually shrank in size as land was removed from Forest Law and it was replaced by a number of much smaller forests including Waltham Forest(which gives its name to the modern London Borough of Waltham Forest. Waltham Forest was a legally defined area which included the areas later known as Epping Forest and Hainault Forest; the rest of the Waltham Forest area was only lightly wooded.

In physical terms (rather than legal terms), the Forest is thought to have declined to something like its modern extent in the early fourteenth century (possibly long before),^[7] the Black Death reached England in 1348, leading to a huge decline in population, perhaps between a third and a half, which took away the pressure on woods and commons, leading to a very long period of stability in the area of these land uses in England.^[8] At that time the forest extended slightly further south to the Romford Road in the Forest Gate area of West Ham; this is the originally RomanA118 road from Aldgate

This land was part of HAM HOUSE ESTATE. DR.FOTHE4GILL established  the estate filling his gardens with 3.400 especies of tropical plants.

The estate was acquired by the GURNEYS (in 1812, by SAMUEL, Quaker philanthropist), 

From 1852 the estate was broken up and sold to developers: Cemeteries, FG Industrial SCHOOL, the GURNEY ESTATE of substantial middle-class houses, lesser streets of artisans’ dwellings, churches and associated schools (in the 20th c, RC).

“A farm on the forest”. The MANOR and farm outbuildings were situated where CAPEL RD. meets CHESNUT AVE., as recorded in 1594. RICHARD DE MONTFICHET donated the farm to STRATFORD-LANGTHORNE ABBEY. RICHARD I granted protection to the monks, from any interference on their land, in 1189.

THOMAS CORBETT purchased the land from the GURNEYS.  In the last quarter of the 19th c. around 1,200 houses were built. 99 years leases, reasonable rentals, easy access (EC RWY), a local market… in 1891 257.000 people were living here (from the 19.000 of 40 years before).

The design of the houses is uniform, thanks to having only one developer. Only variations of types of brick, in the front railings and gates, in other decorative ironwork , sometimes the use of stucco, or of other artificial decorative features… See the glazed canopies and the iron columns (like in the station).

The CORBETTS were NON-CONFORMISTS, concerned about social problems and  committed to built decent housing (as they had built in their native GLASGOW) and they had a a deep commitment to certain principles:  this was a DRY ESTATE. No pubs.

CLAREMONT, OSBORN, HAMPTON ROMFORD ROADS

To the West, large houses with servants quarters attached.

RICHMOND RD, with traffic islands

Shops in WOODGRANGE ROAD

Sculpture on the front of the Forest Gate Methodist Church, Woodgrange Road. The preacher is holding a book. The Sculpture leans out from the brickwork at quite an alarming angle. It is held in this position by being counterbalanced by the church organ inside the building. PETER PERI, sculptor

EC RWY 1841. Decoration have been preserved, after modernisation.

This area was a backwater… In absence of passengers the station closed between 1846 and 48

The domed roof of this kiosk originally was a feature of the railway station, but was removed when the station was refurbished. The turret with the dome was originally fixed to the corner of the main building.

The clock is combined with a drinking fountain and a Horse & cattle trough. Although this has been moved from it's original position, it still has with it two rectangular stone blocks. These were put there to make it easier for easier for riders to remount their horses after they (the horses probably) had taken a drink. When originally set up this was in the middle of the market.

a large circle about 14 yards/metres in diameter. It is surrounded by four seats and has a large cross in the centre whose arms point to the cardinal points. At the end of these are the letters N, E, S and W.

See the coloured wood carvings conveying the spirit of Merrie England: musicians, Queen Elizabeth I…

At least for the las 260 years has been an inn on this site.  This one dates from 1896.

Sir Thomas Latham, who had no natural heir, adopted a baby boy found in his estate, under a tree, guarded by an eagle. The child was called FITZHENRY, but after inheriting the estate he changed his name to LATHAM. Later his daughter married into the STANLEY family (whose peerage goes back to the reign of RICHARD III) and one of the descendants  was made EARL OF DERBY, the one  who institute the famous horse race, in 1780.

The EAGLE and the CHILD featureon the coat of arms of the family.

This is a reminder that this road junction marks the site where the local market used to be.

Along SEBERT RD

Built 1884 by Francis J. Sturdy in brick.   It has two octagonal towers, one with a dome. It has a grand interior with galleries on three sides, on iron columns. The church orignated in 1825 in a chapel in Forest Lane and later in Chapter Street. In the 1880s William Skinner built a new church here for what was then a new housing estate. It is now in use by other churches - Has since been Miracle Ministry Mission and is now AEC4UK – A Radical Church.

Records show that today’s Manor Park Cemetery and Crematorium stands on a section of land that originally was owned by Hamfrith Farm which was registered under various ownerships as far back as the late 1700’s. However in 1851 the area was sold, for the sum of £17,710.00, to the philanthropist Samuel Gurney. He was already the owner of local manors Woodgrange and Ham House and had established Overend, Gurney & Co and Gurney’s Bank.

Samuel died in 1856 in Paris while travelling back to the UK due to ill health. His body was transported back to be buried in Friends Cemetery in Barking. Sadly his eldest son John also died in the same year. In 1872 the grandson, also called John, sold the Hamfrith estate to the British Land Company.

In 1874 the British Land Company sold on to the newly established Manor Park Cemetery Company Limited.

You can carry on the route through the  CEMETERY towards MANOR PARK, LITTLE ILFORD and ILFORD

Vera Lynn was born ‘Vera Margaret Welch’ on 20^th March 1917 at her family’s home in Thackeray Road–East Ham-London-E6  (now in the London Borough of Newham).

Now marked by a circle of trees, the crowds joined in open air concerts and dancing in celebration of the 1937 CORONATION.

LEWIS ANGELL was the surveyor and engineer who planned it. Benches were around.8; it, paddle boats for kids. As this was a posh area,  fashionably dressed people walk around heading along to listen to the band (the less posh locals called it THE MONKEY’S PARADE)

Along CAPEL ROAD

Alexandra Lake was built at the very beginning of the 20th century (approx. 1906/7) to give work to unemployed men, under the direction of the West Ham Distress Committee. There was a lot of unemployment at the time, and dock workers were only employed by the day, so schemes were set up to give men work (Another example is Hollow Ponds on Leyton Flats, which was built around the same time as part of a similar scheme).

The Alexandra Lake was named after Alexandra of Denmark, the Queen Consort of King Edward VII.

The white painted wooden shed was used by anti-aircraft gun crews during World War II.  It is now used as storage by the playing fields staff. The gun crews used a gun emplacement which was further on to the Flats.

Next to the white hut, towards the Aldersbrook Road, is a red brick building. This is also now used as storage, but originally was built as a decontamination building, to be used in case of a German gas attack.

CITY OF LONDON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM

Owned and managed by the CORPORATION OF LONDON. 260 acres: The second largest after ROSELAWN (BELFAST). In fact, BROOKWOOD isxlarger, but private. Anyone can be interred, no matter residence, or beliefs.

In 1849 a report by WJ HAYWOOD.  Chief Engineers of the C.L. COMMISSION FOR SEWERS established that the churchyards presented high health risks, and that extramural interment sites had to be found for the CITY’S 106 parishes. HAYWOOD  and Dr.SIMON, FIRST CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER  designed this cemetery.

The C.LDN purchased the land from the 2nd DUKE OF WELLINGTON, Lord of the Manor. 89 acres were designed (out of 200]for burials, on a porous well drained soil.

In 1855 it was laid out by landscape gardener DAVIDSON, following guidelines from LOUDON’s book. He created the word arboretum. The first interment took place in 56, and was consecrated in 57.

To the 600.000 interments have to be added the remains from the London churchyards (Union of Beneficies Act, 1860, authorised the demolition of some of the City’s more run down churches, freeing up their graveyards for building developments.) an  the War graves.

The CREMATORIUM was added in 1904, but is now a chapel. The COLUMBARIUM is in fact the converted CATACOMBS, as they were not proven a popular method of burial.

The petrol station was the site of Aldersbrook Farm (parts of the wall that you can see are from the wall around the farm house), which was re-sited here from its original location when The City of London Cemetery was built in 1854. In the early 20th century, when motor vehicles started to become common, the farm installed petrol pumps outside the farmhouse.

The old HYLE river rises at MOLEHILL GREEN,  near DUNMOW, ESSEX, flowing  through the RODINGS , passing CHIPPING ONGAR, and into the THAMES, forming  the tidal BARKING CREEK.

Between LOUGHTON and CHIGWELL the RODING VALLEY MEADOWS conforms a nature reserve.

A crossing gave way to the name REDBRIDGE.

In ESSEX it forma a boundary between EPPING FOREST and BRENTWOOD, In London it forms the boundary between NEWHAM and BARKING & DADAGENHAM.

THE RODING VALLEY WAY:Part One and PartTwo