Upminster Bridge
Coordinates: 51°33′28″N 0°14′23″E / 51.5577°N 0.2397°E
| Upminster Bridge | |
_011.jpg) Upminster Bridge over the Ingrebourne |
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 Upminster Bridge
Upminster Bridge shown within Greater London |
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| OS grid reference | TQ552867 |
|---|---|
| London borough | Havering |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HORNCHURCH |
| Postcode district | RM12 |
| Post town | UPMINSTER |
| Postcode district | RM14 |
| Dialling code | 01708 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Hornchurch and Upminster |
| London Assembly | Havering and Redbridge |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
Upminster Bridge is a crossing of the River Ingrebourne carrying the A124 road between the suburbs of Hornchurch and Upminster in northeast London, England.[1] The bridge is known to have existed since at least 1375.[2] It gave its name to the nearby Upminster Bridge tube station, which opened in 1934, and has also been applied to the neighbourhood around the station in the London Borough of Havering.
Contents |
[edit] Etymology
The bridge has been alternatively known as Bridge House Bridge and Lower Bridge, with Bridge House referring to a house which stood nearby on the current site of Hornchurch Stadium.[2] The placename Upminster is first recorded in 1062 as Upmynstre and is recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book.[1] It is formed from Old English upp and mynster, possibly meaning the large church on high ground, above the valley of the Ingrebourne.[1] However, it may also indicate the position of an anglo-saxon minster secondary to those at Barking or Tilbury.[3]
[edit] History
The bridge has existed since at least 1375. It is recorded in 1617 as being in need or repair. The River Ingrebourne formed the boundary between the ancient parishes of Hornchurch and Upminster. However, upkeep of all bridges over the river were the responsibility of the Upminster parish authorities, as Hornchurch claimed exception due to the charter of the Royal Liberty of Havering.[2] The wooden bridge was destroyed and replaced with another after the winter of 1709/10. Replacement wooden carriage bridges were constructed in 1759 and 1827 and an adjacent ford was in use up until the 19th century. A stone and brick structure was completed in 1892.[2] Upminster Bridge tube station opened in 1934.[4]
Until its last replacement with railings in the 1980's by Havering London Borough Council, the bridge used to have two low height cast-iron plated bridge sides that were cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, makers of Big Ben and other bells in the Houses of Parliament. A nearby pub used to bear the name The Bridge House but is now called The Windmill, after a brief period being the Hungry Horse.
[edit] A Natural and Physical Boundary Crossing
The bridge crosses the natural boundary between the ancient settlements of Hornchurch and what was to become Upminster. The garden suburb of Upminster in fact extends westward to Hacton Lane south of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway line and the modern boundary could be argued to be at the railway bridge which is signficantly more prominant as a landmark. However, it must be recalled that until the creation of the Upminster garden suburb in the 1930s the area east of the Ingrebourne was rural and undeveloped and there has always been a very close link between the settlements either side of the river. As a more recent tribute to the boundary, it is worth noting that the cul-de-sac north of the A124 occupying the last land parcel before the joining of the two railway lines and the river Ingrebourne is called Hornminster Glen and this infers, fittingly, the 'valley and leigh of Hornchurch and Upminster'. Further, the next road is Minster Way, which again draws the ties between Hornchurch and Upminster closer.
[edit] Transport
It is the location of Upminster Bridge tube station. The area is served by the 193, 248 and 370 bus routes, with services to Cranham, Romford, Upminster and Lakeside.[5] The London Loop key walking route passes through the Upminster Bridge area, and the station forms the end point of section 22 from Harold Wood and the starting point of section 23 to Rainham.[6][7]
Until 1972, bus routes on the A124 road that crosses the narrow bridge were more numerous. Before 248, was extended from its orbital run around Upminster Park Estate to connect into to Romford town centre, the London Transport buses reaching Upminster station were the 193 and the 86. The latter running all the way from Bow and Limehouse the 15 or so miles to Upminster most of the time hugging the course of the A124 road.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c A.D. Mills (2001). Dictionary of London Place Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192801066.
- ^ a b c d Powell, W.R. (Edr.) (1978). Upminster: Introduction and manors, A History of the County of Essex: Volume 7. Victoria County History. British History Online. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42829. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ Blair, John (2005). The Church in Anglo-Saxon Society. Oxford University Press. p. 102.
- ^ Rose, Douglas (1999). The London Underground: A diagrammatic history (7 ed.). Douglas Rose. ISBN 1854142194.
- ^ "Buses from Upminster Bridge". Transport for London. March 2010. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/upminsterbridge-10896.pdf. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ "Section 22 Harold Wood to Upminster Bridge". London Loop. Transport for London. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/walkfinder/walkdetails.asp?id=95. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
- ^ "Section 23 Upminster Bridge to Rainham". London Loop. Transport for London. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/walkfinder/walkdetails.asp?id=96. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
[edit] External links
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| Section 22: | London Outer Orbital Path | Section 23: |
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| Harold Wood | Upminster Bridge | Rainham |
