Goodmayes is a district of
IlfordIlford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
in north-east
LondonLondon 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 in the
London Borough of RedbridgeThe London Borough of Redbridge is a London borough in outer north-east London. Its administrative headquarters is at Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford. The local authority is Redbridge London Borough Council.-Etymology:...
and forms part of the Ilford post town, situated approximately two miles to the east of
IlfordIlford is a large cosmopolitan town in East London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Redbridge. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. It forms a significant commercial and retail...
town centre.
Goodmayes Park, an area of open space containing a lake, basketball and tennis courts, is located here. It once contained a bandstand and a boathouse but these are no longer available
There is also a
psychiatric hospitalPsychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
in Barley Lane known as Goodmayes Hospital which forms part of the North East London NHS Foundation Trust. On Barley Lane, Brookside is based. Brookside is, according to 'the quality network for inpatient CAMHS services' (QNIC), an adolescent unit that provides a high standard of care. Brookside comprises Brookside Main, Interact Outreach service and the Willows at Brookside High Dependency Unit.
History
Goodmayes was largely undeveloped until the end of the 19th century, when large scale suburban development took place as London expanded. However, Goodmayes does appear on maps as early as the 1770s. Barley Lane is believed to be named after Dorothy Barley, last Abbess of nearby Barking Abbey (elected 1527). Most of the area here and in neighbouring
Seven KingsSeven Kings is a district of Ilford in north-east London, England. It is part of the London Borough of Redbridge and forms part of the Ilford post town....
was only built up between 1898 and 1910 by the developer A. C. Corbett who used new stations on the
Great Eastern RailwayThe 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...
to promote the new suburbs. Goodmayes station was built in 1901. Since then, little has changed in the area and the lines of Edwardian terraced housing continue to dominate the area with relatively few more recent additions.
Former extensive railway sidings near Goodmayes Station were closed in the 1970s and later redeveloped for retail purposes. A large Tesco store and a branch of Wickes now occupy the site.
Actor
Cardew RobinsonDouglas John Cardew Robinson was a British comic, whose craft was rooted in the music hall and Gang Shows.-Early life and career:Robinson was educated at Harrow County School for Boys...
was born in Goodmayes on 14 August, 1917. He is best remembered for character and cameo roles, the best known being the fakir in 'Carry-On Up the Khyber'. He died at Roehampton in 1992.
Actor
Sir Ian HolmSir Ian Holm, CBE is an English actor known for his stage work and for many film roles. He received the 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in The Homecoming and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of King Lear...
was born at Goodmayes Hospital on 12 September, 1931, to Scottish parents, Jean Wilson Holm and James Harvey Cuthbert. His mother was a nurse and his father was a psychiatrist and superintendent of the West Ham Corporation Mental Hospital as Goodmayes Hospital was then known. Cuthbert was one of the pioneers of electric shock therapy for treating mental illness. Ian Holm was created a CBE in 1989 and was knighted in 1998.
Administratively, Goodmayes has always been a part of Ilford, and its political history has followed that of its parent from being part of a ward of
BarkingBarking is a suburban town in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, in East London, England. A retail and commercial centre situated in the west of the borough, it lies east of Charing Cross. Barking was in the historic county of Essex until it was absorbed by Greater London. The area is...
parish to the London Borough of Redbridge today.
Nearest railway stations
The nearest
London Underground stations are Barking — on the
District LineThe 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...
and Hammersmith and City Line, and
Newbury ParkNewbury Park tube station is a London Underground station in Newbury Park, in the London Borough of Redbridge. It is on the Hainault loop of the Central Line, in Zone 4....
— on the
Central LineThe Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
.
Goodmayes railway stationGoodmayes railway station is a railway station at Goodmayes in the London Borough of Redbridge in east London, opened on 18 February 1901 by the Great Eastern Railway on the Main Line from Liverpool Street. The station once had an extensive shunting yard for goods traffic but this fell into disuse...
is a part of the
National RailNational Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
network, with trains to London Liverpool Street.
Local Scout groups
Goodmayes is home to various local Scout groups, including 4th Goodmayes who are located on Barley Lane next to St Pauls Church. Ages start from 6 up to 15 with the three sections called the Beavers, the Cubs and the Scouts.
Their home is called the Gaffery which has had many different buildings in the past. The group's current home is incorporated within the St Paul's Community Centre, which opened in 2006.
7th Goodmayes scout group was established in in 2006 and has over 100 members. It is the first scout group in East London to be run by Muslims. It has accomplished many tasks and activities, including visiting the
House of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
,
Buckingham PalaceBuckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
, and partaking in numerous water sports activities including rafting, sailing, kayaking and canoeing. The group also aims to contribute to the community through activities such as tree planting and a sponsored walk for Comic Relief raising over 1000 pounds
Other activities include archery, wall climbing, camping, etc.
External links