Gidea Park
Gidea Park | |
---|---|
The lake at Raphael Park in Gidea Park | |
Location within Greater London | |
OS grid reference | TQ525905 |
• Charing Cross | 15.2 mi (24.5 km) WSW |
London borough | |
Ceremonial county | Greater London |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | ROMFORD |
Postcode district | RM2 |
Dialling code | 01708 |
Police | Metropolitan |
Fire | London |
Ambulance | London |
UK Parliament | |
London Assembly | |
Gidea Park (
Locale
Gidea Park is approximately 15 miles (24 km) east of Charing Cross and 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Romford town centre.
It is south-west of the Gallows Corner junction where the A12, A127 and A118 roads meet.
Harold Wood is to the east of Gidea Park, Ardleigh Green and Emerson Park are to the south-east, and Hornchurch is to the south.
History
Early history
In 1657, the hall and its grounds were sold to Richard Emes, a local businessman, for £9,000. Upon the Restoration, the estate was bought back by the Crown and passed through the ownerships of various nobilities, before eventually being sold through public auction, shortly before the Coronation of Queen Victoria.[3]
Exhibition houses
In 1909 Herbert Raphael, John Tudor Walters and Charles McCurdy, three Liberal Members of Parliament (MPs) who had links with the Hampstead Garden Suburb development, formed a company with the objective of building a new garden suburb on the Gidea Hall estate. Raphael also reached agreement with the Great Eastern Railway for a new station on the main line from London Liverpool Street to serve the new suburb.[4]
Competitions were held to select the best town planning scheme for the suburb, and the best designs for houses resulted in those being sold at a well-above average £500 and cottages at £375. Of the 159 properties, 132 were entered into the competitions. The winner of the best designed house was No. 54 Parkway by Geoffry Lucas and the best cottage was No. 36 Meadway, designed by C. M. Crickmer. A competition for the builders for best workmanship was won by Falkner & Son who built No. 35 Meadway and No. 43 Heath Drive.
Known today as the "Exhibition houses", and set in their garden suburb known as the "Exhibition estate", the properties are fine examples of the domestic architecture of their time and are a significant feature of the Gidea Park area. Six of them are now listed buildings: Nos. 41 and 43 Heath Drive, Nos. 16 and 27 Meadway and Nos. 36 and 38 Reed Pond Walk.
A further 35 houses, mostly of contemporary flat-roofed design, were built in 1934–35 in Heath Drive, Brook Road, and Eastern Avenue for a Modern Homes Exhibition. One such house, No. 64 Heath Drive, by Berthold Lubetkin's Tecton Group architectural group, was the special responsibility of Francis Skinner and is now also a listed structure.
The area was designated a conservation area in 1970.
Society and leisure
The
Romford Hockey Club is based in Gidea Park. It is also the location of Gidea Park Lawn Tennis Club, Romford Golf Club, and two public parks: Lodge Farm and Raphael park. There are also a number of shops, pubs, restaurants and a library.
Essex County Cricket Club played first-class cricket at the Gidea Park Sports Ground between 1950 and 1968.
Transport
A number of London Bus routes run through Gidea Park towards Romford, Lakeside Shopping Centre, Dagenham, Harold Hill, Harold Wood, Gallows Corner and Brentwood; these are operated by Stagecoach London and Blue Triangle.[9]
References
- ^ The Book of the Exhibition of Houses and Cottages: Romford Garden Suburb, Gidea Park, p. 42.
- ^ The Book of the Exhibition of Houses and Cottages: Romford Garden Suburb, Gidea Park, p. 43.
- ^ The Book of the Exhibition of Houses and Cottages: Romford Garden Suburb, Gidea Park, p. 35.
- ^ W.R.Powell, ed. (1978). "Romford: Introduction". A History of the County of Essex: Volume 7. pp. 58–66. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
- ^ Historic England. "64 Heath Drive (1257402)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ^ "Our History – St Michael and All Angels". Stmichaelsgideapark.org.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
- ^ "Elizabeth Line Timetables". Elizabeth line. 10 December 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Timetables". Greater Anglia. 10 December 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "Stops in Gidea Park". Bustimes.org. Retrieved 5 February 2024.