Wikipedia

Hornchurch

Hornchurchis asuburbantown inEast Londonin theLondon Borough of Havering.It is located 15.2 miles (24.5 km) east-northeast ofCharing Cross.It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. It historically formed a large ancient parish in the county ofEssexthat became themanor and liberty of Havering.The economic history of Hornchurch is underpinned by a shift away from agriculture to other industries with the growing significance of nearbyRomfordas amarket townand centre of administration. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Hornchurch significantly expanded and increased in population,becoming an urban districtin 1926 and has formed part ofGreater Londonsince 1965. It is the location ofQueen's Theatre,Havering Sixth Form CollegeandHavering College of Further and Higher Education.

Hornchurch
Langtonshouse and grounds were given to Hornchurch in 1929
Hornchurch is located in Greater London
Hornchurch
Hornchurch
Location withinGreater London
OS grid referenceTQ535865
•Charing Cross15.2 mi (24.5 km)WSW
London borough
Ceremonial countyGreater London
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townHORNCHURCH
Postcode districtRM11, RM12
Dialling code01708
PoliceMetropolitan
FireLondon
AmbulanceLondon
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°33′23″N0°12′46″E/ 51.5565°N 0.2128°E/51.5565; 0.2128

History

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Toponymy

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Hornchurch (parish) population
1881 2,824
1891 3,841
1901 6,402
1911 9,461
1921 10,891
1931 28,417
1941 war #
1951 79,908
# no census was held due to war
source:UK census[1]

According to Mills, Hornchurch is first recorded in English in 1233 asHornechurchand means 'church with horn-like gables'.[2]It has been suggested that the Hornchurch Priory is the origin of the Hornchurch placename because the priory used a bulls-head seal on official documents during the 14th century.[3]Both the seal and, sincec. 1600,the bull emblem on the wall of the parish church derive from the name rather than provide the origin.[4]

Origins

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In theAnglianIce Age, 450,000 years ago, the ice sheet reached The Dell, just south of St Andrew's Church, the furthest south any ice sheet reached in Britain.Hornchurch Cuttingis aSite of Special Scientific Interestjust north of St Andrews Park which exhibits the geology.[5][6]Stone Agetools,Bronze AgeandIron Ageartefacts have been discovered in Hornchurch, indicating a lengthy occupation in pre-history. Roman remains, sufficient to indicate a settlement have also been found in South Hornchurch.

Hornchurch Priory and New College

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In 1158/9Henry IIgave 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) of southern Hornchurch to the hospice ofGreat St Bernard Hospicein Savoy as a gift.[7]TheHornchurch Priorywas established and in 1163 the St Andrew's Church and adjacent land was given by Henry II to the priory with a house built to the north of the church. The priory lands in total were around 1,900 acres (7.7 km2).[8]The priory claimed exclusive spiritual authority within the ancient parish of Hornchurch which was the same area as the manor ofHaveringat this time. TheParliament of Englandauthorised the king to confiscate the property of alien religious houses that supported theAvignon Papacyin 1379. The members of the priory left the house in 1385 and the property was seized.[9]The lands were purchased in 1391 byWilliam of Wykehamfor the endowment ofNew College, Oxford.[4]The site of the priory became Hornchurch Hall.[10]

Economic development

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TheHornchurch Marshwas used for cattle grazing and became popular with butchers,innowners and others in theCity of Londonand by the 19th century it had become famous for the quality of the cattle sent to theLondon meat market.[11]Havering was a centre ofleather productionfrom the 13th to 16th centuries.[8]The high street was known asPellStreet, reflecting the importance of the leather trade in Hornchurch.[4]There was abreweryin Hornchurch from 1789 to 1929.[12]The Speedwell (later renamed Ormonde) cycle factory was located on Hornchurch Road from around 1879 to 1900.[13]It employed 100 "men and boys" in 1897.[14]Stafford Allen and Sons set up a chemical factory in Ardleigh Green, adjacent to the railway tracks, after their first choice of a nearby site in Gidea Park was rejected in 1919. Lacrinoid Products took over the site in 1936 for a plastics factory.[15]

Local government

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Hornchurch civil parish boundaries before the expansion ofHornchurch Urban Districtin 1934

Hornchurch was a largeancient parishin theBecontreehundred of Essex; it was divided into the three chapelries ofHavering-atte-Bower,Hornchurch andRomford.The Hornchurch chapelry stretched from theRiver Thamesin the south to Harold Wood in the north and was located between theRiver Ingrebournein the east and theRiver Beamin the west. It was also known as 'Hornchurch side' and consisted of the North End, South End and Town wards. Town ward was absorbed into North End and South End around 1722. Hornchurch chapelry occupied 6,783 acres (2,745 ha) of the 16,100-acre (6,500 ha) ancient parish.[7]The local authority was the Hornchurch vestry. The royal manor ofHavering,which was conterminous with the ancient parish of Hornchurch, enjoyed special status and a charter in 1465 removed it from the Becontree hundred and the county of Essex to instead form an independentliberty.By the 16th century 'Romford side', comprising the five northern wards of Romford Town, Harold Wood, Collier Row, Noak Hill and Havering, had grown larger than Hornchurch and had achieved some degree of independence from the Hornchurch vestry. Havering ward grew independent in its own right and became a separate parish in the late 18th century.[16]

Following thePoor Law Amendment Act 1834,Hornchurch and Romford became separate civil parishes in 1836 and were grouped into the Romford Poor Law Union. The area of the union, excluding the town of Romford, became arural sanitary districtin 1875. The special status of the Liberty of Havering was abolished in 1892 and the area was reincorporated into Essex. In 1894 the Hornchurch vestry was replaced by Hornchurch Parish Council. The rural sanitary district becameRomford Rural Districtand the local authority became Romford Rural District Council. As the population of Hornchurch was rising, the parish council was abolished in 1926 and the parish was removed from the rural district. On 1 April 1926 the parish of Hornchurch becameHornchurch Urban Districtand the local authority became Hornchurch Urban District Council, with thefirst electionhaving taken place on 27 March 1926.[17]The council met atLangtons Housefrom 1929. The urban district was significantly expanded in 1934 when the parishes ofCranham,Rainham,Upminster,Wenningtonand part ofGreat Warleywere added. In 1936 part ofNorth Ockendonwas added to the district.[18]The area formed part of theLondon Traffic Areafrom 1924 and theLondon Passenger Transport Areafrom 1933.[19]The whole area was included in theLondon Borough of Haveringin 1965 and it was transferred from Essex to Greater London.[20]For elections to the Greater London Council, Hornchurch was part of theHaveringelectoral division until 1973 and then theHornchurchelectoral division until 1986.[21]

Suburban expansion

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Railway stations opened in the parish of Hornchurch atHarold Woodin 1868 andHornchurchin 1885.[7]Both stations were some distance from the village and did not initially encourage large scale housebuilding.[7]

In 1886 the parish authorities ofSt Leondard Shoreditchpurchased 80 acres of Harrow Lodge Farm for the construction of the Hornchurchcottage homesthat opened in 1889.[22]The homes had a population of 306 in 1896.[23]In 1897 Hornchurch had a population of 4,200. It was a large village with scattered groups of houses throughout rest the parish and in the northwest the built up area of Romford extended into it.[14]The growth of Hornchurch from rural village to suburban town began with the sale of the southern 200 acres (0.81 km2) of Nelmes manor for theEmerson Parkhousing estate of 200 homes in 1895.[24]In 1901 the 241 acres (0.98 km2) northern portion of Nelmes was sold for the Great Nelmes housing estate.[7]Emerson Park railway stationwas opened in 1909 to serve the new estates.[25]

Uphavering Terrace, the first 18council housesin Hornchurch, were constructed on Abbs Cross Lane in 1914 by Romford Rural District Council at the request of Hornchurch Parish Council.[26]50 houses at Princes Park and 48 at Priors Park were constructed in the early 1920s by the Romford Rural District Council following theHousing, Town Planning, &c. Act 1919as "housing of the working classes".[27][28]In total, 186 houses were built by 1922.[29]60 further houses were built by Hornchurch Urban District Council on Suttons Avenue and Park Lane from 1928.[30]

The construction of thedual carriagewaysof theSouthend Arterial Roadbetween 1925 and 1940 cut off the Harold Wood part of the parish from the rest.[31]

Hornchurch was quickly built upon as part of theinterwarprivate housing boom that saw workers migrate from the inner districts of London. This was encouraged by the introduction of the electricDistrict Railwayservice from 1932 and the availability of cheap agricultural land for development. The population of Hornchurch grew by 335% from 1921 to 1938 as new homes were occupied.[32]50 acres of Haynes Park Farm was sold in 1925 for development as the Haynes Park building estate.[33]The New College lands were sold for development between 1927 and 1931.[24]The density of interwar development was much higher than the Emerson Park and Great Nelmes estates. In 1930 the development of the Wych Elm Farm estate caused an arbitration case which only partially upheld the restrictive covenant on the size of houses that could be built.[34][35]Grey Towersmansion was demolished in 1931 and the grounds used for the Grey Towers housing estate and theTowers Cinema.[7]Stafford Allen and Sons built houses for factory employees along Stafford Avenue around 1931.[15]

In 1931 Hornchurch Hall, Priors Farm and Grove Farm were being developed for housing and the Crescent and Ravenscourt estates were being built.[36]In 1932 theHardley Green,Harold Wood Hall, Lee Gardens and Redden Court estates were being built.[37]In 1933 an extension to the Hardley Green estate was under construction and work on the Maylands, Dorset House and Hornford estates was underway.[38]Wyebridge, Elm and Uphavering farms were purchased in 1933 by Richard Costain and Sons for theElm Park Garden Citydevelopment. 7,000 houses were planned with the official opening of the estate in 1935. This coincided with the opening ofElm Park tube stationandHarrow Lodge Park.Elm Park had a higher density of development than previous schemes and had its own town centre.[39]2,600 houses were built by 1939 with further development halted by the Second World War.[40]After the war, the estate was completed with over 1,000 council houses.[41]

Nelmes manor house and immediate grounds survived until 1967 when the house was demolished by the owner to avoid a preservation order by the Greater London Council.[42]The land was used for The Witherings neo-Georgian style housing development.[43]

Hornchurch Airfield and the military

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During both theFirst World WarandSecond World WarnearbyHornchurch Airfieldwas an importantRAFstation; it was known as RAF Suttons Farm during the Great War, with its HQ as far away as Upminster Hall. During the Second World War, the airfield was known as RAF Hornchurch, and was home mostly to a number ofSpitfiresquadrons, with an advanced sub-station at Rayleigh. The land has since been reused for a large housing development andHornchurch Country Park.During the First World War a large vacant country estate calledGrey Towerson Hornchurch Road was commandeered by the Army Council as a military depot. In January 1916 it became the first Command Depot for the New Zealand Contingent in Britain but was found to be more suitable as a Convalescent Hospital Camp for servicemen from theNew Zealand Expeditionary Force,and was run as such until June 1919.[44]

Governance

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Hornchurch and Upminster constituency in Greater London

The town forms part of theHornchurch and UpminsterUK Parliament constituency. Elm Park and South Hornchurch are within theDagenham and Rainhamconstituency. The local authority isHavering London Borough Council,with councillors elected from the wards ofElm Park,Emerson Park,Hacton.Harold Wood,Hylands and Harrow Lodge,South Hornchurch,Squirrels HeathandSt Andrew's.The central part of town is within the St Andrew's ward and the area south of Hornchurch tube station is within the Hacton ward. Western Hornchurch is within the Hylands and Harrow Lodge ward. All of Hornchurch is within theHavering and RedbridgeLondon Assembly constituency.

Geography

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The town lies about 82 feet (25 m) above sea level, 15.2 miles (24.5 km) east-northeast ofCharing Crossin Central London. The former Hornchurch civil parish was bounded withUpminsterandRainhamby theRiver Ingrebourneto the east, withDagenhamby theRiver Beamto the west, withRomfordto the north and by theRiver Thamesto the south. It included the contemporary districts ofArdleigh Green,Elm Park,Emerson Park,Hornchurch town centre,Hornchurch MarshesandSouth Hornchurch;and parts ofGidea Park,Harold WoodandUpminster Bridge.Hornchurch is apost townin theRM postcode area,consisting of the RM11 and RM12 postcode districts. RM11 covers north of the high street including Ardleigh Green and Emerson Park, and RM12 covers south of the high street including Elm Park. The Hornchurch Marshes and South Hornchurch are within the Rainham post town and postcode district RM13.

Economy

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Hornchurch is identified in theLondon Planas a local district centre with 31,000 square metres (330,000 sq ft) of commercial floorspace.[45]It is not considered a significant commercial office location.[45]Within Havering, it is identified as one of seven town centres in the borough,[46]with a retail area extending along High Street, North Street and Station Lane.[47]

Transport

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There are no stations in central Hornchurch, but five stations are located within the town;Upminster Bridge tube stationis located just within its eastern boundary,Hornchurch tube stationis located about1⁄2mi (800 m) south of the high street,Elm Park tube stationis about1+1⁄2mi (2.4 km) to the south west on theLondon UndergroundandEmerson Park railway stationon theLondon Overgroundis located about1⁄2mi (800 m) to the north, andHarold Wood railway stationon theGreat Eastern Main Lineto the far north forTFL Rail.

Hornchurch is served by the followingTransport for LondoncontractedLondon Busroutes: 165,193,248,252,256,365,370and372.

Religion

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St Andrew's Church,on High Street, is the originalparish churchof Hornchurch. It has beenAnglicansince the Reformation. There are two other Anglican parish churches: Holy Cross in Hornchurch Road, and St George's in Kenilworth Gardens, both built in the 20th century.

Hornchurch also has twoRoman Catholicchurches: St Mary Mother of God in Hornchurch Road, and the Church of the English Martyrs in Alma Gardens.

Culture

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Queen's Theatre
Fairkytes Arts Centre

Hornchurch town centre is the location ofQueen's Theatre,500-seat mid-scale producing theatre and the smaller Fairkytes Arts Centre. TheRAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre,a museum that opened in 2021 is located in the south of Hornchurch.[48]

Hornchurch Drum & Trumpet Corps Boys marching band formed in 1959 and perform around the country.[49]

TheTowers Cinemaon Hornchurch High Street opened in 1936. TheKemp & Taskerbuilding, which was converted into abingo hallin 1973, is noted for itsArt Decoarchitecture. It has now been demolished to make way for a supermarket.[50][51]

Hornchurch is served by Time 107.5 FM, located inRomford.The station covers Havering and surrounding areas. Bedrock is the localhospital radioservice available online to theHaveringarea and broadcasting a range of health-related information and locally produced entertainment.

Sport

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Hornchurch F.C.is the local football team, withHavering Hockey Club(formerly Hornchurch Hockey Club) accommodating the field hockey fixtures from their Harrow Lodge Park base.The Romskatepark is located in the west of Hornchurch and is aGrade II listedstructure.[52]

Music

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The local music service is Havering Music School located on Wingletye Lane. Hornchurch is also home to thedrum and bassrecord labelRAM Records.

Listed buildings

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Main article:Grade I and II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Havering

In the centre of Hornchurch, St Andrew's Church is Grade I listed.[53]In the south of Hornchurch,Bretonsis Grade II* listed.[54]

See also

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References

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  1. ^Great Britain Historical GIS/ University of Portsmouth, Hornchurchpopulation.Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  2. ^Mills, Anthony David (2010).A Dictionary of London Place-names.Oxford University Press.
  3. ^Martin, Ged (23 May 2019)."Hornchurch – a unique name, and maybe 1,400 years old".Romford Recorder.Retrieved23 February2023.
  4. ^abcMcIntosh, Marjorie Keniston (27 June 2002).Autonomy and Community: The Royal Manor of Havering, 1200-1500.Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-52609-8.
  5. ^"Geology Site Account, Hornchurch Railway Cutting".The Essex Field Club. Archived fromthe originalon 2 April 2015.Retrieved3 June2012.
  6. ^"Geology Site Account, The Dell".The Essex Field Club.Retrieved3 June2012.
  7. ^abcdef"Hornchurch: Introduction".British History Online.1978.Retrieved21 August2023.
  8. ^abMcIntosh, Marjorie Keniston (26 November 2010).A Community Transformed: The Manor and Liberty of Havering, 1500-1620: The Manor and Liberty of Havering-atte-Bower 1500–1620(Revised ed.). Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-89328-2.
  9. ^McIntosh, Marjorie (1985)."Hornchurch Priory".Revue Bénédictine.95:111–129.Retrieved23 February2023.
  10. ^"Hornchurch Hall".Historic England Research Records.Retrieved23 February2023.
  11. ^Mackay, C. (1840). The Thames and Its Tributaries: Or, Rambles Among the Rivers. United Kingdom: R. Bentley.
  12. ^Barber, Norman (1994).A century of British brewers, 1890 - 1990.New Ash Green: Brewery History Society.ISBN9781873966044.
  13. ^Grant, Andy (17 April 2021)."How bicycles, manufacturing and gas lights created Roneo Corner".Romford Recorder.Retrieved28 December2023.
  14. ^ab"Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health: 1897".Wellcome Collection.Romford Rural District Council. 1898. p. 12.
  15. ^abMartin, Ged (5 May 2018)."A forgotten planning decision that shaped Gidea Park".Romford Recorder.Retrieved28 December2023.
  16. ^"Hornchurch: Economic history and local government".British History Online.Retrieved24 December2023.
  17. ^"Urban Elections".Essex Chronicle.2 April 1926.
  18. ^Ball, Alfred (1937)."Annual Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hornchurch: 1936".Wellcome Collection.Retrieved2 January2024.
  19. ^Robson, William (1939).The Government and Mis-government of London.London: Allen & Unwin.
  20. ^Young, K.; Garside, P. (1982).Metropolitan London: Politics and Urban Change 1837–1981.Edward Arnold.ISBN9780713163315.
  21. ^Boothroyd, David."Greater London Council Election results: Havering".United Kingdom Election Results.Archived fromthe originalon 24 March 2016.Retrieved29 December2023.
  22. ^Cherry, Bridget; O'Brien, Charles; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2007).London. 5: East / by Bridget Cherry, Charles O'Brien and Nikolaus Pevsner; with contributions from Elizabeth Williamson, Malcolm Tucker and Pamela Greenwood(Reprinted with corrections ed.). New Haven London: Yale Univ. Press.ISBN9780300107012.
  23. ^"Proposed Division of Hornchurch into Wards".Essex Chronicle.15 May 1896.A population of 306 [...] at the cottage homes
  24. ^ab"Hornchurch: Manors".British History Online.1978.Retrieved21 August2023.
  25. ^Butt, R.V.J. (1995).The Directory of Railway Stations.Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 91.ISBN1-85260-508-1.R508.
  26. ^"The Council Cottages, Abbs Cross Lane, Hornchurch".facebook.Havering Libraries Local Studies. 20 August 2020.Retrieved23 December2023.
  27. ^"Abbs Cross Lane, Priors Park, Hornchurch".facebook.Havering Libraries Local Studies. 29 September 2021.Retrieved23 December2023.Priors Park began with 48 houses erected by Romford Rural District Council in the first years of the 1920s, part of their building programme of "houses for the working classes",
  28. ^"Princes Park, South Hornchurch postcard view c.1925".facebook.Havering Libraries Local Studies. 5 July 2021.Retrieved23 December2023.On June 8th 1920, at a special meeting of the Romford Rural District Council, "it was agreed that application be made to the Ministry of Health for sanction to borrow £357,477 for 60 years for the erection of houses for the working classes in Dagenham, Hornchurch and Wennington. The Clerk, Mr. T.W.A. Greenhalgh, said the money was required for the following schemes:- Chadwell Heath, 162 houses; Princes Farm, Hornchurch, 50; Rainham, 108; Wennington, 16; Priors Farm, Hornchurch 48; total 384 houses
  29. ^Ball, Alfred (1926)."Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health: 1925".Wellcome Collection.Romford Rural District Council. p. 14.
  30. ^"Hornchurch".Essex Chronicle.14 September 1928. p. 5.
  31. ^Martin, Ged (21 February 2013)."Even the A127 has a history".Romford Recorder.Retrieved23 December2023.
  32. ^Porter, Roy (1995).London: a social history(2. print ed.). Cambridge,Mass: Harvard Univ. Pr.ISBN9780674538382.
  33. ^"Haynes Park Road, Hornchurch c. 1928".facebook.Havering Libraries Local Studies. 27 September 2020.Retrieved23 December2023.The sale of part of the farm in 1925 for housing was soon followed in 1928 by the neighbouring Slewins Farm. Development at Slewins Farm was not without difficulty.
  34. ^"Hornchurch Arbitration Result".Essex Chronicle.22 August 1930. p. 8.
  35. ^The Estates Gazette Digest of Land and Property Cases.Estate Gazette, Limited. 1931.
  36. ^Ball, Alfred (1932)."Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health: 1931".Wellcome Collection.Hornchurch Urban District Council. p. 9.Retrieved27 December2023.
  37. ^Ball, Alfred (1933)."Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health: 1932".Wellcome Collection.Hornchurch Urban District Council. p. 7.Retrieved27 December2023.
  38. ^Ball, Alfred (1934)."Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health: 1933".Wellcome Collection.Hornchurch Urban District Council. p. 7.Retrieved27 December2023.
  39. ^Hipperson, Chris; Donoghue, Simon; Brandon, Ingrid (2009).The Elm Park Story.Suffolk: Lavenham Press.ISBN9780956327208.
  40. ^Martin, Ged (31 March 2013)."Elm Park - a garden city".Romford Recorder.Retrieved23 December2023.
  41. ^Martin, Ged (7 July 2019)."Forgotten local authority was Havering's parent".Romford Recorder.Retrieved1 January2024.
  42. ^"Owner Destroys Ancient Essex Manor".The Daily Telegraph.28 August 1967.
  43. ^"How Nelmes' glory days ended with wrecking ball".Romford Recorder.14 October 2017.Retrieved21 August2023.
  44. ^"Hornchurch: New Zealand Convalescent Hospital 1916–1919".Lost Hospitals of London.Retrieved11 February2014.
  45. ^abMayor of London(May 2006)."The London Plan: East London Sub Regional Development Framework"(PDF).Greater London Authority.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 4 June 2011.Retrieved19 August2009.
  46. ^"Town centre management".Havering London Borough Council. 14 October 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 19 December 2008.Retrieved9 February2010.
  47. ^"Havering UDP: District Centres (schedule 7)".Havering London Borough Council. March 1993. Archived fromthe originalon 8 June 2011.Retrieved9 February2010.
  48. ^Billson, Chantelle (22 September 2021)."Trust celebrating Hornchurch history opens new permanent heritage centre".Romford Recorder.Retrieved23 December2023.
  49. ^"Hornchurch Drum & Trumpet Corps - History".Archived fromthe originalon 24 May 2016.
  50. ^"Towers Cinema Hornchurch, Essex".Modernist Britain.Archivedfrom the original on 12 October 2016.Retrieved12 October2016.
  51. ^Nagesh, Ashitha (30 August 2016)."Historic Art Deco cinema to be bulldozed to make way for new Lidl".Metro.Archivedfrom the original on 31 August 2016.Retrieved12 October2016.
  52. ^"The Rom Skatepark".Historic England.Retrieved24 December2023.
  53. ^"Parish Church of St Andrew".Historic England.Retrieved24 December2023.
  54. ^"Bretons".Historic England.Retrieved24 December2023.
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