Hornchurch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hornchurch is a town in the London Borough of Havering in east London, England. It is a suburban development located 15.2 miles (24.5 km) east north-east of Charing Cross.
The River Ingrebourne forms the boundary with Upminster to the east. Hornchurch borders Romford to the north west and Rainham to the south.
Hornchurch is home to the Queen's Theatre, a modern 500-seat theatre located close to the town centre. Havering Sixth Form College is located in the town.
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[edit] History
Hornchurch probably gets its name from an architectural feature of Saint Andrews church, near the town centre. The earliest recorded use of the name is a Latinized form Monasterium Cornutum in 1222 meaning 'church with horn-like gables'. It was recorded as Hornechurch in 1233. The horned bull's head mounted on the eastern end of the church dates from much later; around the 18th Century. [1]
Hornchurch originates from around the 12th century when Richard I gave the lands to a monastery in Savoy as a gift for their help in aiding him and his army across the Alps. A new monastery was built in Hornchurch as well as Saint Andrews church. The monks were forced out during the 14th century when a new law banned foreign land ownership.
The lands were then given to Lord Chancellor William Wykeham who made major renovations to the church. He subsequently gave Hornchurch to Oxford, which still owns all church lands and buildings. Due to this fact Saint Andrews church was not a part of the Church of England until a contract was signed between them and New College, Oxford in the 1930s. This parish of Hornchurch therefore had incredible religious freedom for most of its history.
During World War II nearby Hornchurch Airfield was an important RAF station, home to a number of Spitfire squadrons. The land has since been reused for a large housing development and Hornchurch Country Park.
Like most suburbs of London, Hornchurch had been entirely rural until the arrival of the railway which spurred huge property development during the early 1900s. Whole estates were constructed such as Emerson Park to the north. Development was fuelled further by the arrival of the electrified District Line during the 1930s with inter and post war housing developments south and west of Hornchurch in places such as Elm Park.
Hornchurch Urban District was formed in 1926 from part of Romford Rural District. In 1934 it was enlarged to include Upminster and North Ockendon although neither are today considered part of Hornchurch. The council offices were located at Langtons until 1965 when the present-day London Borough of Havering was formed.
[edit] Economy
Hornchurch is identified in the London Plan as a "district centre", with few well known High Street names other than banks and a supermarket, with some small independent or specialist businesses and a growing number of restaurants and bars. The town centre competes mostly with nearby Romford and the out-of-town shopping centres of Lakeside and Bluewater.
Both the Queen's Theatre and nearby Harrow Lodge Sports Centre attract leisure spending. There are a number of dispersed local parades of shops and other small businesses away from the town centre serving residential areas.
The drum and bass label Ram Records is based in Hornchurch.
[edit] Transport
There is not a station in central Hornchurch, however four stations are located within the town; Upminster Bridge tube station is located just within its eastern boundary, Hornchurch tube station is located about a mile south of the high street, Elm Park tube station is about a mile and a half to the south west and Emerson Park railway station is located about a mile to the north. The nearest main line railway station is at Upminster.
Hornchurch is served by the following Transport for London contracted London Bus routes: 165, 193, 248, 252, 256, 365, 370, 372, 373.
Nearest places:
[edit] Gallery
 Langtons House and gardens |
 Fairkytes Arts Centre |
[edit] References
- ^ Mills, A., Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names, (2000)
