| DISTRICT | ||
| Old Ford | ||
|---|---|---|
| Image | ||
| Population | ||
| PostCode District | E3 | |
| Borough | London Borough of Tower Hamlets | |
| OS Grid Reference | ||
| Latitude | ||
| Longditude | ||
Old Ford is an area in East London.
Toponymy[]
Old Ford name was first recorded in 1268, although a ‘Robert of Aleford’, who was mentioned in 1244 – may have come from here. The ford crossed the River Lea roughly where the ‘Old Ford’ locality name appears on the map below.[1]
History[]
In the early Middle Ages. Old Ford was an important crossing point on the main road from London into Essex – and there is archaeological evidence of active commercial traffic from the middle of the first century into the fourth century. However, the construction of a bridge at Bow supplanted the less reliable route through Old Ford. This was in part a consequence of the meadowland’s vulnerability to flooding, a problem exacerbated by the prevalence of watermills along the River Lea, constricting its flow.[2]
After Queen Matilda built Bow Bridge, there was no longer any need to travel via Old Ford, with the vast majority of traffic followed the new, safe, bridged causeway across the Bow marshes.[3]
Samuel Pepys writes in his diary, …hence after dinner by coach with my wife only to take the ayre, it being very warm and pleasant, to Bowe and Old Ford: and thence to Hackney. There ‘light, and played at shuffle-board, eat cream and good cherries; and so with good refreshment home…’[4]
In the 19th century, Old Ford eventually became its own parish based around St. Paul’s Church on St Stephen’s Road, but it was still administratively tied to Bow.[5]
Negligence at the Old Ford Waterworks was responsible for London last outbreak of cholera in 1866. More than 4,000 people died in the ensuing epidemic. The waterworks themselves remained in operation until 1891.[6]
During the First World War, suffragist Sylvia Pankhurst lived in a house that stood next door to the Lord Morpeth, a pub at 402 Old Ford Road.[7]
An archaeological evaluation at Lefevre Walk in 2005 followed by an excavation revealed residual prehistoric flints and pottery, a possible early Roman.[8]
Geography[]
In 1878, the parish of St Paul Old Ford was created,[9] but Old Ford was never a civil parish and had no formal or exact boundaries, but generally Old Ford is considered where the largely residential block above Roman Road that is bordering Hertford Union to the north and River Lea to the east.[10]
Governance[]
Old Ford falls within the parliamentary constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The electoral ward it falls within is the Bow East and Bow West ward.[11]
Related links[]
- [12] - a video around Old Ford including Parnell Road and Roman Road
More information on the Wikipedia page [13]