Stratford, London
Coordinates: 51°32′32″N 0°00′06″W / 51.5423°N 0.0018°W
| Stratford | |
 Stratford Old Town Hall |
|
 Stratford
Stratford shown within Greater London |
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| OS grid reference | TQ385845 |
|---|---|
| - Charing Cross | 6 mi (9.7 km) WSW |
| London borough | Newham |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | E15, E20 (future) |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | West Ham |
| London Assembly | City and East |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
Stratford is a place in London in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located 6 miles (9.7 km) east northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major centres identified in the London Plan.[1] It was historically an agrarian settlement in the ancient parish of West Ham, which transformed into an industrial suburb following the introduction of the railway in 1839. As part of the growth of London in the late 19th century, Stratford significantly expanded and increased in population, becoming the centre of administration of the Borough of West Ham in 1886 and it has formed part of Greater London since 1965. The more recent economic history is underpinned by a move away from railway works and heavy industry towards becoming a significant commercial and cultural centre. Stratford is the location of the London Olympic Park and is currently experiencing regeneration and expansion linked to the 2012 Summer Olympics.
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[edit] History
[edit] Toponymy
The name is first recorded in 1067 as Strætforda and means 'ford on a Roman road'.[2] It is formed from Old English 'stræt' and 'ford'. The crossing is that of the London to Colchester road over one of the many branches of the River Lea to the west of the settlement.[2] The nearby settlement of Bow — over the River Lea and now in Tower Hamlets — was also known as Stratford and a variety of suffixes were used to distinguish the two.[2] The settlement to the east of the Lea was also known as Estratford refererring to the location east of the other Stratford, Statford Hamme alluding to the location within the parish of West Ham, Abbei Stratford, referring to the presence of Stratford Langthorne Abbey[2] and Stretford Langthorne.
[edit] Economic development
The introduction of the railway at Stratford in 1839 caused a focus of activity within the fast-expanding Stratford New Town.
[edit] Local government
Stratford was one of three ancient wards in the large parish of West Ham, in the Becontree hundred of Essex. It came within the Metropolitan Police District in 1840.[3] Despite forming part of the built up area of London the parish remained outside the statutory metropolitan area established in 1855 and the County of London established in 1889. Instead, administrative reform was undertaken in the area in much the same way as a large provincial town. A local board was formed in 1856 under the Public Health Act 1848 and subsequently the parish was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1886. In 1889 the borough was large enough in terms of population to become a county borough and was outside the area of responsibility of Essex County Council. Stratford formed the centre of administration of the county borough and was the location of the town hall.
[edit] Geography
Stratford is located in the northwestern extremity of the London Borough of Newham and borders to the west with Hackney Wick in the London Borough of Hackney and Bow in London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and to the north with Leyton in London Borough of Waltham Forest. Within Newham, Forest Gate is the east, West Ham to the southeast and Plaistow to the south. The River Lea and the complex network of Bow Back Rivers mark the western limits of the area. Royal Mail has given the postcode E20 to the Olympic Park and Stratford City developments, this was only used by the BBC TV soap EastEnders for the fictional suburb of Walford.[4]
[edit] Economy
Both of Stratford's shopping centres: The Stratford Centre and the recently opened (2011) Westfield Stratford City are located on either side of Stratford station. Westfield Stratford City, home to 300 stores, is one of the largest shopping centres in Europe. The older centre has a range of accessibly-priced stores, its indoor and outdoor market stalls, and the 'inshops' network of small retail outlets. The centre occupies much of the 'island site' created in the 1960s by the surrounding gyratory traffic system.
[edit] Redevelopment
Stratford has been a focus of regeneration for some years, and is the location of a number of major projects:
- Westfield Stratford City is a multi-billion pound scheme to regenerate the 73-hectare brownfield railway lands to the north of the existing town centre. There will be a vast shopping centre similar in size to Bluewater, for which John Lewis, Waitrose and Marks and Spencer have already committed to provide anchor stores. Nearby will be a new purpose-built community of 5,000 homes, offices, schools, public spaces, municipal and other facilities destined to become a major metropolitan centre for East London.
- The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will have their main base at the Olympic Park, which will contain a significant number of venues including the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, and London Velopark. Some of the new Stratford City accommodation will serve as the Olympic Village housing athletes before being re-configured for the property market. After the Olympics the 'legacy' plans include the largest new urban park in Europe for over a century, and a new university.
[edit] Transport
Location of five stations, Stratford is a significant transport hub.
- Stratford Regional
Stratford Regional is located on the National Rail Great Eastern Main Line, North London Line as well as the Lea Valley Lines. National Rail services: Greater Anglia and London Overground regularly serve the station to London Liverpool Street, Romford, the East of England, Stansted and Southend Airports, and other parts of north London. London Underground's Central and Jubilee lines both serve the regional station and link Stratford to Oxford Street, Wembley Stadium, Epping and Canary Wharf. The Jubilee line started serving in 1999 as part of the Jubilee line extension to Stratford. Two of the Docklands Light Railway branches go to Stratford, the (1987) Stratford and the (2011) Stratford International branch. The DLR links Stratford to Poplar, Canary Wharf, Lewisham, London City Airport and the Excel Centre. A bus station is located adjacent to Stratford Regional with London Buses and National Express coach routes towards central, northeast London and Stansted Airport.[5]
- Stratford International and Stratford High Street
Stratford International is located to the northwest; the station is served by Southeastern domestic high speed services and there is provision for international Eurostar services from St Pancras to eventually call at the station. The International and Regional stations are linked by a new branch of the Docklands Light Railway — opened in August 2011, which also serves a new DLR only station at Stratford High Street.
- Maryland
The eastern part of Stratford is served by Maryland railway station. The Liverpool Street to Shenfield via Ilford and Romford service known as the Shenfield Metro service and runs every 10 minutes throughout most of the day. This service also calls at Stratford and is planned to be incorporated into the Crossrail service by 2017.
- Pudding Mill Lane
Pudding Mill Lane is in the south of the Olympic Park. Served by the Docklands Light Railway to Stratford, Poplar and Canary Wharf. It's planned to be re-sited south as part of the Crossrail project. Its also planned to be closed during the 2012 Olympics because of overcrowding fears.
[edit] Culture
Stratford's Cultural Quarter, adjacent to the shopping centre, is home to several arts venues, bars and cafes:
- Theatre Royal Stratford East
- Stratford Circus
- The Discover Children's Story Centre is a partner in the Cultural Quarter
Stratford has been the location for numerous films, notably Sparrows Can't Sing (1963) and Bronco Bullfrog (1970). The promotional film for the Beatles' "Penny Lane" single was filmed in and around Angel Lane.
[edit] Education
The University of East London (UEL) has a major campus in Stratford, whose main building, University House, is a historic listed building dating from the 19th Century. The adjacent Passmore Edwards Building is also one of the area's most historic and beautiful buildings, with colourful frescoes and domed roof. In addition, Birkbeck College, part of the University of London, has launched courses in the area, initially using space provided by UEL, with a view to constructing its own campus in Stratford. A new university is planned on the Olympic Park following the 2012 Games.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Mayor of London (February 2008). "London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2004)". Greater London Authority. http://www.london.gov.uk/thelondonplan/docs/londonplan08.pdf.
- ^ a b c d Mills, D. (2000). Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names. Oxford.
- ^ http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42758
- ^ BBC News: London - Olympic Park to share EastEnders' Walford E20 postcode Accessed 19 March 2011
- ^ http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/stratford-2242.pdf
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Stratford, London |
- Description of Stratford in 1876
- Archaeology at the Olympic site
- History of Stratford site with links to historic Post Office directories
- A Brief History Of The Parish Of Stratford
- Local guide to and blog about contemporary Stratford
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