Melanie McGrath is a Romford -born English non-fiction writer and crime novelist.
65-708: Born in Romford , McGrath's parents moved several times during her childhood; to Basildon in Essex, then to a village in Germany, to Kent, then north to Lancashire, and south again to Buckinghamshire. She studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University . She won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 1995 for her non fiction book Motel Nirvana , which examined the New Age movement , and detailed McGrath's travels around
130-403: A cultural destination, whilst recognising that Hornchurch forms the main cultural hub of the borough with a large theatre and arts spaces. As a former market and coaching town, Romford is well served by public houses and two that are located in the market place are listed buildings. The market and adjacent streets also form a conservation area. Mass entertainment facilities in the town include
195-495: A listed building in 1952, with the adjacent 15th/16th century Church House. The market was the property of the Crown until 1828, when the manor of Havering was sold to Hugh McIntosh . On his death in 1840 it passed to his son David McIntosh. When David died in 1881 it passed to his widow, Charlotte McIntosh. Romford Local Board made several unsuccessful attempts to lease the market from Charlotte McIntosh between 1882 and 1887. There
260-552: A very high Public Transport Accessibility Level score of 6. There is a proposal that Romford will be served by a future extension of the East London Transit . The A12 trunk road passes to the north of Romford, while the A118 road from Stratford connects with it at Gallows Corner at the start of the A127 road to Southend. Havering Council's urban strategy aims to make Romford
325-622: A writer or poet from the United Kingdom is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Romford, London Romford is a large town in East London , England, 14 miles (23 km) northeast of Charing Cross . Part of the London Borough of Havering , the town is one of the major metropolitan centres of Greater London identified in the London Plan . Historically part of
390-553: Is almost as significant as the day economy with around 12,000 visits to Romford during the day and 11,000 visits to pubs, clubs and bars at night. As of 2012, Romford has 207,025 m (2,228,400 sq ft) of total town centre floorspace (retail, leisure and vacant), placing it fifth in Greater London only behind the West End, Croydon , Kingston upon Thames and Stratford for "town centre vitality and viability". The town
455-593: Is characterised by a shift from agriculture to light industry and then to retail and commerce. As part of the suburban growth of London throughout the 20th century, Romford significantly expanded and increased in population, becoming a municipal borough in 1937. In 1965, following reform of local government in London , it merged with the Hornchurch Urban District to form the London Borough of Havering, and
520-427: Is located 14 mi (23 km) northeast of Charing Cross in central London; 4 + 3 ⁄ 4 mi (7.5 km) northeast of Ilford ; 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 mi (4 km) north of Dagenham ; 9 mi (14 km) northwest of Grays ; 6 mi (10 km) south-west of Brentwood ; 12 mi (19 km) west of Basildon ; and 9 mi (14 km) southeast of Epping . Climate data for Romford
585-460: Is planned to launch in 2024. In April 2023, hoodies were banned from the town centre. Ski masks and motorcycle helmets were also forbidden in an initiative by Romford Business Improvement District, backed by Havering councillors and local Metropolitan Police officers, as a measure against antisocial behaviour . Premier Cinemas, located within the Mercury Mall , has served as the venue for
650-612: Is served by Romford railway station ; it is situated on the Great Eastern Main Line and the Elizabeth line , in London fare zone 6 . Elizabeth line trains, formed of high-frequency services between London Paddington and Shenfield , call at the station. Services will extend through central London to Reading when the line is opened fully. Some Greater Anglia services to/from Southend Victoria and Colchester Town also call at
715-478: Is taken from the nearest weather station at Greenwich , around 10 miles (16 km) southwest of the marketplace. The Havering committee area for Romford is defined as the wards of Romford Town and Brooklands. Demographic data is produced by the Office for National Statistics for these wards. In 2001 the population of Romford Town was 13,200 and Brooklands was 13,024, giving a total population of 26,224. In contrast,
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#1732845592483780-413: Is the subject of a 1726 legal case called Keech v. Sandford . This is one of the foundational cases of English trust law , on the fiduciary duty of loyalty . In 1819 improvement commissioners were set up for the market place and principal streets of the town. They were empowered to levy rates for paving, lighting, watching, and cleansing. The church was rebuilt in 1849/1850 and was designated as
845-511: The 2018 council elections , all the elected councillors for the wards in Romford constituency were Conservative. Romford F.C. , who currently play in the Essex Senior League , is the local football team. The London Raiders ice hockey team are based in Romford. Romford is home to the Romford and Gidea Park Rugby Football Club, which was established in 1927. In 2003, the club became one of
910-534: The Becontree hundred of Essex ; as well as the town it included the wards of Collier Row, Harold Wood , and Noak Hill. Through ancient custom the area enjoyed special status and a charter in 1465 removed the parish from the Becontree hundred and the county of Essex and it instead formed the independent liberty of Havering governed from a court house in the market place. Over time the vestry of Romford chapelry absorbed
975-540: The Board of Agriculture ordered the closure of the market, because of a failure to complete paving and drainage works. It was decided at a public meeting that year for the local board to purchase the market and complete the works. The market and old court house were purchased for £7,000 in 1892. The market house building was used as offices by the Romford Local Board and then Romford Urban District Council until 1931. It
1040-554: The Brookside Theatre , Romford Greyhound Stadium , one of the few remaining dog racing tracks in London; 2 multi-screen cinemas; and until April 2013 Romford Ice Arena , which was home to the local Romford Raiders ice hockey team. The Dolphin Centre was a popular swimming and leisure facility located in the town from 1982 to 1995, but the site was redeveloped into the current Axis residential tower block and Asda superstore in
1105-596: The River Rom is a local ' back-formation ' from the name of the town; and the river is elsewhere known as the Beam. The ford most likely existed on the main London to Colchester road where it crossed that river. The town developed in the Middle Ages on the main road to London and the regionally significant Romford Market was established in 1247. The original site of the town was to the south, in an area still known as Oldchurch. It
1170-415: The Romford electoral division until 1986. There was early expansion in the 1840s when 200 cottages were built in the area formerly occupied by an army barracks; it was known as New Romford . To acknowledge the military connection, when in 1961 these were in turn replaced with new housing the name Waterloo Road Estate was applied. To the east of the market place from 1850 middle class suburban housing
1235-634: The Romford Film Festival since 2017, the Romford Horror Film Festival since 2020, and the East London LGBTQ+ Film Festival since 2023. Romford Market Romford Market is a large outdoor retail market located in Romford in the London Borough of Havering , England. The market right was established by royal order in 1247. Rival markets are prohibited within 6.66 miles (10.72 km). Governance of
1300-720: The Romford Parliament constituency was 82% White British, 5.8% Asian, 5% Other White and 4.7% Black out of a total population of 95,894. The constituency is predominantly Christian with 64% of the residents reporting that religion. Out of the wards that make up Romford overall, the highest male life expectancy was in Squirrel's Heath (80.7 years) while the highest female expectancy was in Romford Town (85.7 years). The lowest were Heaton (76.2 years) and Heaton and Gooshays (both 81.3 years) respectively. The average house price as of 2014
1365-463: The Romford Urban District and Romford Rural District to replace the local board and sanitary district; following which the Romford parish was split into Romford Urban and Romford Rural along the lines of the urban district. In 1900 the parish was recombined and the urban district expanded to cover all of the former area of the historic chapelry, except for Noak Hill which remained in
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#17328455924831430-568: The Royal Dockyards . Only two miles of canal were constructed and the canal company were unable to reach the town. The development of the town was accelerated by the opening of the railway station in 1839 which stimulated the local economy and was key to the development of the Star Brewery. Initially Eastern Counties Railway services operated between Mile End and Romford, with extensions to Brentwood and to Shoreditch in 1840. A second station
1495-663: The Telegraph Act 1899 Romford became part of the Post Office London telephone area and the Romford exchange was recorded as having 240 subscribers in 1916. The town water supply initially came from the Havering Well, and 1859 a new public well and pump was built at the east end of the market. The South Essex Waterworks Company started installing mains water supply in 1863 and had offices in South Street. By 1905 its supply
1560-419: The ancient parish of Hornchurch in the Becontree hundred of Essex , it has been a market town since 1247. It formed the administrative centre of the liberty of Havering until that liberty was dissolved in 1892, and became a civil parish of its own in 1849. Good road links to London and the opening of the railway station in 1839 were key to the development of the town. The economic history of Romford
1625-592: The American states of Nevada , Colorado , New Mexico and Arizona . Her other non-fiction books have explored the " Information Age " ( Hard, Soft and Wet ), 20th century British social history , ( Hopping and Silvertown ) and the non-fiction book, The Long Exile about the High Arctic relocation . In recent years McGrath has written crime novels, including a trilogy set in the Arctic with Inuit detective Edie Kiglatuk, and
1690-665: The First and Second World Wars. The Romford UK Parliament constituency consists of the Havering wards of Brooklands, Havering Park, Hylands, Mawneys, Pettits, Romford Town, and Squirrel's Heath. The MP since 2001 is Andrew Rosindell of the Conservative Party , a native of the town. Romford forms part of the Havering and Redbridge London Assembly constituency . Each ward elects three councillors to Havering London Borough Council . As of
1755-599: The Golden Lion public houses became listed buildings in 1979. In 1989 Havering Council objected to the creation of a market in Ilford , using the rights of 1247. The marketplace is promoted as a location for filming. In 2005 it was used to film parts of the music video for Voodoo People (Pendulum Remix) by The Prodigy. It was noted by the council that the number of traders was in long-term decline with 339 traders in 1985, 266 traders in 1995 and 170 traders in 2005. By 2015
1820-521: The Harold Court. On the northern side, Harold Hill peaks at 75 m (246 ft). The semi-rural area north of Collier Row and Harold Hill consists of many rolls of hills, with elevation peaking at the village of Havering-atte-Bower, 344 feet (105 m). The town centre is for the most part contained within a ring road formed of St Edwards Way, Mercury Gardens, Thurloe Gardens, Oldchurch Road and Waterloo Road. The market place and much of South Street and
1885-584: The High Street are pedestrianised. The railway cuts through the town from east to west on a viaduct, with the bulk of the central Romford area to its north. The River Rom flows through the town in underground channels and joins the Thames after flowing through Hornchurch; elsewhere along its course it is known as the River Beam and forms part of the strategic waterways Blue Ribbon Network . Romford has formed part of
1950-521: The South Essex Crematorium. It is partially enclosed by 19th-century railings, with ragstone gate-piers and two ragstone chapels joined by a gothic porte-cochère . It contains utilitarian monuments, with older graves near the chapels. The trees in the cemetery include holly , cedar and flowering cherry , and rows of common lime and horse chestnut . The cemetery contains the war graves of 118 identified Commonwealth service personnel of
2015-526: The approximate population of the area within the 2005 Romford Urban Strategy was estimated to be 36,500. 71.52% in Romford Town and 70.48% in Brooklands report their religion as Christian, compared to 76.13% for Havering, 58.23% in London and 71.74% in England. 15.71% in Romford Town and 16.62% in Brooklands report having no religion, compared to 13.18% in Havering, 15.76% in London and 14.59% in England. In 2011,
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2080-449: The authority of the manorial court and therefore outside of its powers of enforcement. This caused the prominent families in Havering to seek new rights in a charter in 1465. The manor gained status as the Liberty of Havering , with paid officers including a clerk of the market. A court house (also known as the market house) was located at the western end of the market. This housed the clerk of
2145-538: The continuously built-up area of London since the 1930s and is contiguous with Rush Green to the west, Collier Row to the north, Gidea Park to the east and Hornchurch to the south east. The Romford post town covers all of the former municipal borough and extends over a much wider area, including parts of Barking and Dagenham and Epping Forest . Neighbourhoods of Romford include: Collier Row , Gidea Park , Harold Hill , Harold Park , Harold Wood , Havering-atte-Bower , Rise Park and Rush Green . Romford
2210-405: The demolition of buildings to the south of the market. The market and adjacent streets were designated a conservation area on 1 April 1968. The market was located on the high street , the main east–west road through the town. In 1969 through road traffic was removed from the market as part of the development of the Romford ring road. In 1973 there were around 325 regular traders. The Lamb and
2275-408: The early 19th century the market was mostly used for the sale of cattle. By the end of that century the eastern end was used for the sale of pigs and cattle whereas at the western end farm tools, clothing, fruit and vegetables could be found. It was a major agricultural market during the 18th and 19th centuries, with a corn exchange established in 1845, enlarged in 1861, and closed in 1924. In 1892
2340-509: The early 19th century to connect the town to the Thames via a Romford Canal. It was initially intended to terminate at a basin near to the Star Brewery , to transport agricultural products to London and, eventually, to serve growing industrial sites in Romford. A later proposal included an extension to Collier Row , whereby timber from Hainault Forest could be transported to the Thames for use in
2405-579: The film Death Walks was filmed in Romford over a four-month period. The cult TV series Garth Marenghi's Darkplace was set in the fictional Darkplace Hospital, in Romford. The local newspapers for the town and the borough of Havering are the Romford Recorder , Romford and Havering Post and Romford Yellow Advertiser . Two radio stations are located in the area: Time 107.5 and Bedrock Radio (a community health and hospital radio station). A proposed new community service, Radio Romford ,
2470-468: The first in the country to have a ladies Rugby team. The town centre is about 50 feet (15 m) above sea level on a gravel terrace rising from the River Thames . The north of the town has developed on London Clay and is situated as much as 150 ft (46 m) above sea level. A continuous gentle rise in the eastern suburbs towards Gidea Park and Harold Wood peaks around 177 feet (54 m) around
2535-453: The local powers that would usually be held by the parish authorities in Hornchurch and in 1849 Romford became a separate parish within the liberty. Improvement commissioners were set up in 1819 for paving, lighting, watching , and cleansing of the marketplace and main streets. As the town grew this arrangement became ineffective at controlling sanitation and in 1851 a local board of health
2600-415: The main east–west road through the town until traffic was diverted away from the market in 1969. The market is promoted as a filming location. It is open on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. There was a Sunday market from July 2020 to March 2024. As of July 2020 it has 60 licensed traders, down from a peak of over 300. It originated as a sheep market that was operating by 1247. The market right on Wednesdays
2665-578: The market and other liberty officers. Reflecting the change in focus of the town towards the market, the Church of St Edward the Confessor was built to the north of the marketplace around 1410. The market was famous for leather goods by the 15th century, which were manufactured in Hornchurch and Romford. Havering residents were exempt from tolls to use the market, which were being charged by 1619. The market
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2730-407: The market was strengthened by the 1465 charter of the Liberty of Havering , which was administered from a court house at the western end of the market. Formerly a livestock and agricultural market, cattle was last sold in 1958. The market has been in local authority ownership since it was purchased by the Romford Local Board in 1892 and is now owned by Havering Council . The marketplace was located on
2795-460: The mid-2000s. There is also a Romford F.C. associated with the town. Romford Bowls Club is based in Lodge Farm Park. 1980s Post Punk bands Department S and Purple Hearts both have origins in Romford. The town is strongly associated with the electronic music group Underworld , who cite Romford in their hit " Born Slippy ", affiliated to the movie Trainspotting . Ride the sainted rhythms on
2860-565: The midnight train to Romford Romford's position as a focus for electronic music production was reinforced by the presence of the Strictly Underground and Suburban Base record labels, with Suburban Base developing from the Boogie Times record store. According to a Billboard article in 1992, Romford-produced dance music formed part of a trend favouring suburban and provincial "bedroom" record labels over those in central London. In 2013,
2925-705: The north of the town at Collier Row were developed in the interwar period and after World War II , the London County Council built the Harold Hill estate to the north east from 1948 to 1958. The right to supply electricity to the town was secured by the County of London Electricity Supply Company in 1913. Initially power was generated within the Star Brewery site, with the supply switching to Barking Power Station in 1925. Gas supply began in 1825 with gas works of 25 acres (10 ha) constructed by 1938. Following
2990-550: The number of regular traders had declined to 90. In 2010 the layout of the market was altered to provide wider aisles, better access from the Liberty Shopping Centre and improved electricity supply to the stalls. The market was closed from 24 March to 3 June 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom . As of July 2020 the market had 60 regular traders. The Romford business improvement district (BID)
3055-441: The population and reinforced Romford's position as a significant regional town centre. The Liberty Shopping Centre was constructed in the 1960s, and has been modernised and supplemented with further shopping centres throughout the town, including The Mall , opened in 1990 (as 'Liberty 2'); and The Brewery , opened in 2000 on the site of the old Star Brewery. Romford formed a chapelry in the large ancient parish of Hornchurch in
3120-540: The rural district and had become a parish in its own right in 1895. The enlarged urban district formed part of the London Traffic Area from 1924 and the London Passenger Transport Area from 1933. The suburban expansion of London caused an increase in population during the 1930s and the urban district was expanded further in 1934, taking in the parishes of Havering-atte-Bower and Noak Hill. It
3185-778: The similar east London areas of Ilford, Stratford and Barking, there is more comparison retail and commercial office employment in Romford and less public sector work. The total turnover of £413,395,000 in 2002 for Romford was larger than any other comparable town centre in east London and approximately 70% came from the commercial office businesses. There is a developed night time economy, greater than in any other metropolitan centre in Greater London, with 8,360 m (90,000 sq ft) of cinemas, theatres and concert hall space; 9,530 m (102,600 sq ft) of bars and pubs; 5,510 m (59,300 sq ft) of cafés and restaurants; and 2,680 m (28,800 sq ft) of fast food and take away venues. The night time economy
3250-549: The standalone thriller Give Me the Child . As a book reviewer and travel writer, she has written for The Daily Telegraph , The Guardian and The Independent among other publications. McGrath has taught creative writing at the universities of Roehampton University and North Carolina as well as at The Arvon Foundation . McGrath lives in London and on the Kent coast. Edie Kiglatuk trilogy Standalone This article about
3315-488: The station. A branch line shuttle on the Romford to Upminster Line is operated by London Overground . Romford is a hub of the London Buses network, with services to Canning Town , Stratford , Leytonstone and Dagenham ; there are also feeder services from the large housing developments at Collier Row and Harold Hill . There are night bus services to Stratford, Harold Hill and Paddington. Romford town centre has
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#17328455924833380-506: Was a focus of the leather industry from the 15th to the early 19th centuries and there is record of a wide range of industries such as cloth making, weaving, charcoal burning, metal working and brewing. Communications played an important part in its development; the main road to London was maintained by the Middlesex and Essex Turnpike Trust from 1721 and Romford became a coaching town in the 18th century. Several failed attempts were made in
3445-466: Was a legal dispute between them in 1887 about the location of a weighbridge in the market, which the local board believed was blocking a right of way. McIntosh won the case. In 1889 the local board turned down an offer to lease the market, claiming that it was in decline. The opening of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway stations at Dagenham, Hornchurch and Upminster in 1885 had made it easier to reach Barking Market from those communities. Until
3510-499: Was constructed with a much larger area of 200 acres (80 hectares) built-over to the south of the railway from 1851 and by 1861 the population had grown to 3790. Through a gradual process of selling off former manors, houses were built radiating from the town in all directions for about a mile, and further significant growth occurred between 1910 and 1911 with the construction of Romford Garden Suburb , which included Raphael Park and Gidea Park railway station . Large sections of land to
3575-552: Was created in 2019, covering the town centre and market. Since 2021, two pitches in the market are sponsored by the BID at weekends between April and October to introduce new small businesses to the market. Regular opening on Sunday began in July 2020. The Sunday market closed in March 2024 as part of Havering Council budget cuts. In 2023 Havering Council attempted to use the market rights to block
3640-596: Was demolished in 1933, to make way for the Quadrant Arcade. The market gained a reputation for the black market sales of rationed goods during and immediately after the Second World War. The livestock market went into decline after the Second World War. The last sale of horses took place on 13 May 1948. The sale of cattle in the market ended on 21 May 1958, giving way to food, clothing and household goods. The 1965 Romford central area redevelopment plan led to
3705-496: Was established by royal writ in 1247, although no charter was issued. Under common law no other market is permitted to set up within a day's sheep drive, which is taken to be 6.66 miles (10.72 km) from the marketplace. The 1247 market right did not provide for the governance for the market. By the 15th century, it had become popular with buyers and sellers from the City of London and other areas outside of Havering, who were beyond
3770-616: Was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Romford in 1937. In 1965 the municipal borough was abolished and its former area was combined with that of Hornchurch Urban District ; it was again removed from Essex and since then has formed the northern part of the London Borough of Havering in Greater London . For elections to the Greater London Council, Romford was part of the Havering electoral division until 1973 and then
3835-409: Was incorporated into Greater London. Today, it is one of the largest commercial, retail, entertainment and leisure districts in London and has a well-developed night-time economy. The population of Romford, as of the 2011 census , was 122,854. Romford is first recorded in 1177 as Romfort , which is formed from Old English 'rūm' and ' ford ' and means "the wide or spacious ford". The naming of
3900-495: Was moved northwards to the present site in the later medieval period to avoid the frequent flooding of the River Rom. The first building on the new site was the 1410 Chapel of St Edward (since replaced by the 1850 Parish Church of St Edward the Confessor . The early history of Romford and the immediate area is agricultural and it is recorded as being the location of a number of mills used to grind corn. The area
3965-577: Was opened on South Street in 1892 by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway on the line to Upminster and Grays, giving Romford a rail connection to Tilbury Docks . The two stations were combined into one in 1934. Light industry slowly developed, reaching a peak in the 1970s with a number of factories on the edge of town, such as the Roneo Vickers office machinery company, Colvern manufacturers of wireless components, May's Sheet Metal Works and brush manufacturers Betterware . Suburban expansion increased
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#17328455924834030-547: Was retail space and 63,357 m (681,970 sq ft) was offices. The retail space is growing and in 2005 consisted of 190,000 m (2,000,000 sq ft). The retail economy is complemented by a central business district close to the railway station, where the offices of employers such as Aon are located. Employment in the town centre was categorised in 2002 as approximately 40% commercial office, 40% comparison retail, 10% hospitality, 5% public sector, 2.5% service retail and 2.5% arts and entertainment. Compared to
4095-468: Was serving Ilford, Collier Row, Ardleigh Green , Brentwood , and Hornchurch. Sewage works were installed by the local board at Oldchurch in 1862, with further works built in Hornchurch in 1869. Crow Lane or Romford Cemetery was established by the Romford Burial Board in 1871 when space ran out in the parochial cemetery. It was taken over by Romford Urban District Council in 1900 and is now run by
4160-499: Was set up for the parish; although its area was reduced in 1855 to cover only the town ward. The remainder of the parish became part of the Romford rural sanitary district in 1875. These changes and the introduction of the Romford Poor Law Union in 1836 eroded the powers of the liberty and it was finally abolished in 1892 and reincorporated into Essex. The Local Government Act 1894 reformed local government and created
4225-536: Was £225,000 in Romford Town ward. In the Pettits ward, 87.5% of houses were owned by households; the lowest figure, and the only minority one, was Gooshays ward with 48.6%. Romford is recognised in the London Plan as one of 13 regionally significant metropolitan centres in Greater London, with a considerable catchment area. The total commercial floorspace in the town was 353,258 m (3,802,440 sq ft) in 2002, of which 147,627 m (1,589,040 sq ft)
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