Harold Wood
Encyclopedia
Harold Wood is a place in the London Borough of Havering
, east London
, England.
It is a suburban development situated 16.5 miles (26.6 km) east-northeeast of Charing Cross
. The Great Eastern Main Line
passes through the area, the M25 motorway
forms the easterly boundary and the A12 and A127 roads form the North-West and South-West borders respectively.
Harold Wood is so named because King Harold Harefoot
hunted deer in the forest that covered this area in the 11th Century. Some of the original roads are named after Anglo-Saxon kings such as Æthelstan and Alfred the Great
.
Under the Local Government Act 1894
, Harold Wood formed part of Romford Rural District
. With suburban house building, the area became increasingly urbanised and from 1926 Harold Wood formed part of the Hornchurch Urban District
, which in 1965 was abolished to form the present-day London Borough of Havering.
Harold Wood Hospital
, on Gubbins Lane, closed on 13 December 2006 with all patients moved to Queen's Hospital
in nearby Romford
. The site vacated by the hospital has been earmarked for a 470-home housing development. However, this development has faced fierce opposition from the local population as the developers now wish to build over 800 properties on the site.
Harold Wood has a few London Bus Routes that run through it
Harold Wood's nearest tube stations are Elm park tube station
or Hornchurch tube station
both on the District Line
.
London Borough of Havering
The London Borough of Havering is a London borough in North East London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in Havering is Romford and the other main communities are Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham. The borough is mainly characterised by suburban development with large...
, east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England.
It is a suburban development situated 16.5 miles (26.6 km) east-northeeast of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
. The Great Eastern Main Line
Great Eastern Main Line
The Great Eastern Main Line is a 212 Kilometre major railway line of the British railway system, which connects Liverpool Street in the City of London with destinations in east London and the East of England, including Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and several coastal resorts such as...
passes through the area, the M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
forms the easterly boundary and the A12 and A127 roads form the North-West and South-West borders respectively.
Harold Wood is so named because King Harold Harefoot
Harold Harefoot
Harold Harefoot was King of England from 1037 to 1040. His cognomen "Harefoot" referred to his speed, and the skill of his huntsmanship. He was the son of Cnut the Great, king of England, Denmark, and Norway by Ælfgifu of Northampton...
hunted deer in the forest that covered this area in the 11th Century. Some of the original roads are named after Anglo-Saxon kings such as Æthelstan and Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
.
Under the Local Government Act 1894
Local Government Act 1894
The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...
, Harold Wood formed part of Romford Rural District
Romford Rural District
Romford Rural District was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1894 to 1934. It surrounded, but did not include, Romford which formed a separate urban district...
. With suburban house building, the area became increasingly urbanised and from 1926 Harold Wood formed part of the Hornchurch Urban District
Hornchurch Urban District
Hornchurch was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1926 to 1965. The urban district council was based at Langtons House. The district formed a suburb of London and was expanded in 1934...
, which in 1965 was abolished to form the present-day London Borough of Havering.
Harold Wood Hospital
Harold Wood Hospital
Harold Wood Hospital was a hospital in Essex, United Kingdom. It was located in Gubbins Lane, Harold Wood, in the London Borough of Havering. London South Bank University Havering campus is located at the hospital site....
, on Gubbins Lane, closed on 13 December 2006 with all patients moved to Queen's Hospital
Queen's Hospital
Queen's Hospital is a new hospital in Romford, in the London Borough of Havering in London, England. It was built on the former Oldchurch Park, a short distance south of the town centre...
in nearby Romford
Romford
Romford is a large suburban town in north east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan...
. The site vacated by the hospital has been earmarked for a 470-home housing development. However, this development has faced fierce opposition from the local population as the developers now wish to build over 800 properties on the site.
Education
There are 3 main schools in Harold Wood 1 Secondary School and 2 Primary Schools- Secondary School: Redden Court School
- Primary Schools: Harold Wood Primary School and Harold Court School
Nearest places
- Ardleigh GreenArdleigh GreenArdleigh Green is a place in the London Borough of Havering, east London, England and part of the Hornchurch post town. It is a suburban development....
- Gidea ParkGidea ParkGidea Park is a place in the London Borough of Havering, east London, England. Gidea Park is a part of Romford post town.-History:Gidea Park is the location of the "Romford Garden Suburb" constructed in 1910 to 1911 on the Gidea Hall and Balgores Estates as an exhibition of town planning...
- Harold HillHarold HillHarold Hill is a place in the London Borough of Havering, east London, England. It is a suburban development situated 16.6 miles east-northeeast of Charing Cross....
- HornchurchHornchurchHornchurch is a large suburban town in England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Hornchurch is in North-East London .It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping...
- BrentwoodBrentwood, EssexBrentwood is a town and the principal settlement of the Borough of Brentwood, in the county of Essex in the east of England. It is located in the London commuter belt, 20 miles east north-east of Charing Cross in London, and near the M25 motorway....
Harold Wood has a few London Bus Routes that run through it
- Daily routes include 256, 294, 496 and 498
- Mon-Sat 347
- School Routes 646 and 656
Nearest station
- Harold Wood railway stationHarold Wood railway stationHarold Wood station is a railway station at Harold Wood in the London Borough of Havering in east London. It was first openedon 1 December 1868 by the Great Eastern Railway on their main line and two additional tracks were provided in 1934 under London and North Eastern Railway ownership.Train...
Harold Wood's nearest tube stations are Elm park tube station
Elm Park tube station
Elm Park Station is a London Underground station on the District Line, located in Elm Park in the London Borough of Havering.The station is in Zone 6...
or Hornchurch tube station
Hornchurch tube station
Hornchurch tube station is a London Underground station on the District Line, located in Hornchurch and a short walk south from the town centre. The station is in Zone 6, located between Elm Park and Upminster Bridge stations.-History:...
both on the District Line
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
.
Trivia
- The Man From Harold Wood is a song by Matthew GoodMatthew GoodMatthew Frederick Robert Good is a Canadian rock musician. He was the lead singer for the Matthew Good Band, one of Canada's most successful alternative rock bands in the 1990s, before dissolving the band in 2002...
on the Loser Anthems: B-Sides and RaritiesLoser AnthemsLoser Anthems: B-Sides and Rarities is a 2001 EP release by the now-defunct Matthew Good Band. The EP was issued in a limited 35,000 copies...
EP