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Stratford, London |
| Stratford | |
  Stratford shown within Greater London |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| London borough | Newham |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | E15 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| European Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | West Ham |
| London Assembly | City and East |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
Stratford, historically Stratford Langthorne, is a place in the London Borough of Newham in East London. It will be the primary location of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
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The name "Stratford" derives from the Old English word for "street" combined with "ford" (a river crossing). It was originally the name of two adjacent villages, one on each side of such a ford over the River Lea on the Roman road from London to Colchester. Stratford-atte-Bow, on the west bank, was named after a bow-shaped bridge over the Lea, and is now known merely as Bow. On the east bank was Stratford Langthorne, now simply Stratford.
The Abbey of St Mary's, Stratford Langthorne was founded in 1135 and was a dominating influence until the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII in 1538. It was one of the largest of the Cistercian order, possessing 1,500 acres (6.1 km2) of local land. None of the abbey's buildings remain, but archaeological investigation is ongoing (see links below).
Until the arrival of the railways in 1839 much of Stratford was open countryside in the historic county of Essex. From 1889 to 1965 it was part of the County Borough of West Ham, which shared geographical boundaries with the ancient Parish of West Ham. With the formation of Greater London in 1965 Stratford became a part of the London Borough of Newham.
North of modern Stratford is Stratford New Town, initially called "Hudson Town" after George Hudson the railway entrepreneur, and it was the location of the Eastern Counties Railway's works at Temple Mills. The works closed in 1963, but a small depot still exists.
Stratford was home to a fruit and vegetable market, the remnant of which now trades under cover in the aisles of the shopping centre. Its former location is marked by the Stratford Market railway station building, disused but refurbished by the council in the 1990s.
The church of St John in Stratford Broadway, designed by Edward Blore, contains in the churchyard the elaborate Martyrs' Memorial to those Essex Protestants burnt in the Marian Persecutions as documented by John Foxe.
Stratford has been a focus of regeneration for some years, and is the location of a number of major projects:
The University of East London (UEL) has a major campus in Stratford, whose main building, University House, is a historic listed building dating from the 19th Century. The adjacent Passmore Edwards Building, is one of the area's most beautiful buildings, with its striking architecture, colourful frescoes and domed roof.
In addition, Birkbeck College, part of the University of London, has launched courses in the area, initially using space provided by UEL, with a view to constructing its own campus in Stratford.
Stratford's existing shopping centre is conveniently located opposite the station, and is popular for its range of accessibly-priced stores, its indoor and outdoor market stalls, and the 'inshops' network of small retail outlets.
The centre occupies much of the 'island site' created in the 1960s by the surrounding gyratory traffic system. When Stratford City's vast shopping destination opens on the other side of Stratford Station in 2011, a direct pedestrian bridge is planned to span the road and railway lines, connecting the two centres.
Stratford's Cultural Quarter, adjacent to the shopping centre, is home to several arts venues, bars and cafes:
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