Hornchurch is a suburban town in northeast
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, England and part of the
London Borough of HaveringThe London Borough of Havering is a London borough in 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 areas of...
. It is located east northeast of
Charing CrossCharing Cross denotes the junction of the Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in Westminster within Central London, England. It is named after the site of a long demolished Eleanor cross located at the former hamlet of Charing, at this point...
and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the
London PlanThe London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Hornchurch significantly expanded and increased in population,
becoming an urban districtHornchurch 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...
in 1926 and has formed part of
Greater LondonGreater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. The administrative area was officially created in 1965 and covers the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and thirty two London boroughs...
since 1965.
Hornchurch is a suburban town in northeast
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, England and part of the
London Borough of HaveringThe London Borough of Havering is a London borough in 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 areas of...
. It is located east northeast of
Charing CrossCharing Cross denotes the junction of the Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in Westminster within Central London, England. It is named after the site of a long demolished Eleanor cross located at the former hamlet of Charing, at this point...
and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the
London PlanThe London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Hornchurch significantly expanded and increased in population,
becoming an urban districtHornchurch 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...
in 1926 and has formed part of
Greater LondonGreater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. The administrative area was officially created in 1965 and covers the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and thirty two London boroughs...
since 1965. It is the location of
Queen's TheatreThe Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch is a 500-seat theatre located in Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering, East London.The theatre opened in its current purpose-built site on Billet Lane, Hornchurch in 1975....
and
Havering Sixth Form CollegeHavering Sixth Form College , abbreviated as HSFC, is a sixth form college in Wingletye Lane, Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering, East London, England. It opened in September 1991, and educates full-time students from the ages of 16 to 19...
.
Toponomy
Hornchurch is an Anglicised version of the
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
Monasterium Cornutum, a term that was also applied to the mother Abbey in Savoy. The earliest recorded use here was in 1222, meaning 'church with horn-like gables' and it was recorded as
Hornechurch in 1233. The horned bull's head mounted on the eastern end of
St Andrew's ChurchThe church of St Andrew's, Hornchurch is a Church of England religious building in Hornchurch, England.St Andrew's Church spire is copper clad. In the late 1960s the corrosion of the copper had become so bad in the lower three quarters of the spire that it had to be replaced...
, near the town centre dates from much later; around the 18th Century.
Origins
Stone AgeThe Stone Age is a broad prehistoric time period during which humans widely used stone for toolmaking.Stone tools were made from a variety of different sorts of stone. For example, flint and chert were shaped for use as cutting tools and weapons, while basalt and sandstone were used for ground...
tools,
Bronze ageThe Bronze Age of a culture is the period when the most advanced metalworking in that culture utilised bronze. This could either have been based on the local smelting of copper and tin from ores, or trading for bronze from production areas elsewhere...
and
Iron ageIn archaeology, the Iron Age is the prehistoric period in any area during which cutting tools and weapons were mainly made of iron or steel. The adoption of this material coincided with other changes in society, including differing agricultural practices, religious beliefs and artistic styles.The...
artefacts have been discovered in Hornchurch, indicating a lengthy occupation in pre-history. Roman remains, sufficient to indicate a settlement have also been found in South Hornchurch. Historically, the parish was conterminous with the Royal Manor and Liberty of
Havering-atte-Bower{infobox historic subdivision| |Name= Royal Liberty of
Havering-atte-Bower |HQ= Romford |Status= Liberty |Origin= Hornchurch parish |Start= 1465...
, with Hornchurch village - then known as Suttons Manor, located in the south of the area. From the time of
Edward the ConfessorEdward the confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last English kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066 Edward the confessor ...
, the land was in Royal ownership - passing to William the Conqueror at the conquest. In 1086, the name
Havering was applied to the entire district.
Hornchurch originates from around the 12th century when
Henry IIHenry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...
gave to the hospice of St Nicholas and St Bernard, Mountjoux, in
SavoySavoy is a region of Europe on the western flank of the Alps that emerged following the collapse of the Frankish Kingdom of Burgundy. The historical land of Savoy is shared between the modern republics of France and Italy.-Background:...
as a gift. A prosperous priory and church were established in Hornchurch, near the parish church, but 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 of WykehamWilliam of Wykeham was Bishop of Winchester, Chancellor of England, founder of Winchester College, New College, Oxford, New College School, Oxford, and builder of a large part of Windsor Castle.-Life:...
who made major renovations to the church. He subsequently gave Hornchurch to endow
New College, OxfordNew College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Its official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always called "New College"...
, which still owns all the local church lands and buildings. Due to this, Saint Andrew's church was not adopted into the
Diocese of ChelmsfordThe Diocese of Chelmsford is a Church of England Diocese based in Chelmsford, covering Essex and the five east London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest, matching the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brentwood. It is divided into three areas, each with its...
until agreement was reached in the 1930s. The parish remains staffed by a Vicar temporal and his curates.
Modern history
During
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
and
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
nearby Hornchurch Airfield was an important
RAFThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
station; it was known as RAF Suttons Farm during WWI, with its HQ as far away as Upminster Hall. During WWII, the airfield was known as RAF Hornchurch, and was home mostly to a number of
SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries through the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used into the 1950s both as a front line fighter and in secondary roles...
squadrons, with an advanced sub-station at Rayleigh. The land has since been reused for a large housing development and
Hornchurch Country ParkHornchurch Country Park is a park on the former site of Hornchurch Airfield, south of Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering, East London.The River Ingrebourne passes through the park and if forms part of Thames Chase Community Forest...
.
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 ParkEmerson Park is a suburban development in the London Borough of Havering, East London, England. It is a principally residential district located east north-east of Charing Cross.-Housing:...
to the north. Development was fuelled further by the arrival of the electrified
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 and the third busiest overall on the Underground network. Out of the 60...
during the 1930s with inter and post war housing developments south and west of Hornchurch in places such as
Elm ParkElm Park is a place in the London Borough of Havering, East London. It is a suburban development situated east north-east of Charing Cross. Unlike the nearby suburbs of Upminster and Hornchurch, Elm Park was not developed until after the arrival of the electrified District Line in 1935...
.
Hornchurch Urban DistrictHornchurch 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...
was formed in 1926 from part of Romford Rural District. In 1934 it was enlarged to include
UpminsterUpminster is a suburban town in northeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Havering. 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 streets and a large residential...
,
CranhamCranham is a suburb in northeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and comprises an extensive residential area with two small areas of retail activity. It was historically a rural village in the county of Essex and formed an...
, and
North OckendonNorth Ockendon is an outlying settlement of northeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and consists of a dispersed settlement within the metropolitan green belt. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Essex,...
although none are today considered part of Hornchurch. The council offices were located at
LangtonsLangtons is a grade II listed 18th-century house and gardens open to the public situated in Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering, East London....
until 1965 when the present-day
London Borough of HaveringThe London Borough of Havering is a London borough in 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 areas of...
was formed.
A.F.C. HornchurchAFC Hornchurch are a non-League football team based in Hornchurch, Greater London, England.The club formed in 2005 when Hornchurch Football Club suffered financial problems and was closed down. A.F.C...
are the local football team, formed to replace
Hornchurch F.C.Hornchurch F.C. were an non-League football club based in East London. They played in the Conference South, after being promoted from the Isthmian League....
with
Havering Hockey ClubHavering Hockey Club is a field hockey club based in Hornchurch which is in the London Borough of Havering, East London, England. The club consists of 5 Mens teams and 5 Ladies teams playing at varying levels....
(formerly Hornchurch Hockey Club) accommodating the field hockey fixtures from their Harrow Lodge Park base.
Economy
Hornchurch is identified in the
London PlanThe London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
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
RomfordRomford is a large suburban town in northeast 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...
and the out-of-town shopping centres of
LakesideThe Lakeside Shopping Centre is a large out-of-town shopping centre located in West Thurrock, in the borough of Thurrock, Essex just beyond the eastern boundary of Greater London. It opened on 25 October 1990....
and Bluewater.
Geography
The
River IngrebourneThe River Ingrebourne, 27 miles in length, is a tributary of the River Thames.-Etymology:The name is recorded in 1062 as Ingceburne and is formed from the Old England 'burna', meaning stream...
forms the boundary with
UpminsterUpminster is a suburban town in northeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Havering. 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 streets and a large residential...
to the east. Hornchurch borders
RomfordRomford is a large suburban town in northeast 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...
to the north west and
RainhamRainham is a place in the London Borough of Havering in east London, England. It is a suburban development located east of Charing Cross with a population of 12,114 . The village has grown steadily over the last few hundreds of years to the town that it is today...
to the south.
Transport
There are no stations in central Hornchurch, however four stations are located within the town;
Upminster Bridge tube stationUpminster Bridge Station is a London Underground station on the District Line at Upminster Bridge in the London Borough of Havering, East London.It is the least used station on the District Line with 0.87 million exits/entrances per annum by passengers....
is located just within its eastern boundary,
Hornchurch tube stationHornchurch 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:...
is located about a half-mile south of the high street,
Elm Park tube stationElm 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...
is about a mile and a half to the south west and
Emerson Park railway stationEmerson Park railway station is a railway station in the suburban area of Emerson Park in the London Borough of Havering in East London.It was opened as Emerson Park Halt in 1892 by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway....
is located about a half-mile to the north. The nearest main line railway station is at
UpminsterUpminster station is a London Underground and National Rail station located in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering and in Travelcard Zone 6. Located east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is the easternmost station on the London Underground network and the eastern terminus of the District...
.
Hornchurch is served by the following
Transport for LondonTransport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England...
contracted
London BusLondon Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
routes:
165London Buses route 165 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. The service is currently contracted to First Capital.-Route departing Romford The Brewery:*Romford The Brewery*Waterloo Road*St Edward's Way*Western Road...
, 193,
248London Buses route 248 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Thameside.-History:...
, 252, 256, 365, 370 and
372London Buses route 372 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Thameside.-History:...
.