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Enjoy Redbridge
Green spacesCulture
Historic buildingsShopping
Eating outActivities
London Borough of
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CONTENTS4 Valentines Mansion & Gardens
6 Gants Hill
7 Valentines Park
8 Hainault Forest Country Park
9 Roding Valley Park
10 The James Leal Centre
11 Redbridge Cycling Centre
12 Fairlop Waters Country Park
14 Wanstead
16 Woodford
19 Claybury Woods & Park
20 South Woodford
21 Ilford
23 Redbridge Museum
24 Redbridge Central Library
25 Seven Kings & Goodmayes
26 Barkingside
28 Planning your visit
Redbridge is one of London’s greenest boroughs and we are home to a diverse and vibrant population of 270,000 people. This is reflected in the variety of our restaurants, shopping and places of interest.
With our strong arts and cultural heritage, Redbridge has lots of fun days out for residents and visitors alike. For those wanting to stay longer, we have a range of hotels ranging from boutique to budget chains, and other accommodation.
We welcome visitors to Redbridge – and hope this guide will remind residents why you love living here!
For more information and ideas see our website, Redbridge i www.redbridge.gov.uk
Redbridge is a borough in north east London only five miles by road from the Olympic Park. The Borough has award-winning parks and open spaces, great shopping, and diverse places to eat out and be entertained. Valentines Mansion & Gardens
Redbridge Cycling Centre
Redbridge Central Library
The James Leal Centre
Fairlop Waters Country Park
This guide is produced by the London Borough of Redbridge and Vision, the trust that runs the Council’s parks, libraries and leisure facilities. Please send comments or suggestions about this guide to [email protected]
Redbridge Drama Centre
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Valentines Mansion & GardensA magnificent Georgian country house and gardens in the grounds of Valentines Park, Ilford, the 300 year-old restored building now attracts thousands of visitors every year.
These include HM The Queen on a Jubilee visit in March 2012 and BBC film cameras for the Great British Bake Off and Great Sport Relief Bake Off in 2011.
Join them to see:
Georgian rooms with views over parkland
Victorian kitchen
Historic gardens
Art installations and exhibitions
Gardeners Cottage Café open daily from 10am till dusk
Gift shop with hand-made artworks
Events for all ages throughout the year
Free family fun resources
Valentines Gardens through the seasons
Visit the historic gardens, including the Diamond Jubilee Dry Garden opened by HM The Queen in March 2012, fine Rococo landscape with grottos, wildfowl on the ornamental pond, raised beds in the kitchen garden and fine borders and beds.
See the seasons change in the gardens:
Bluebells and narcissus brightening up spring
The Old English Rose Garden in summer sunshine
Maple and oak trees in full glorious autumn colour
Parsley and sage in the winter herb garden
EntryFREE (Pre-booked tours £3)
Opening times Tuesday and Wednesday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm
Bus123, 128, 167, 179, 296, 396
RailIlford (buses stop outside station)
Underground Gants Hill (Central line) – see Did you know? on p6
ParkingPay and display parking at the Mansion
BikesRacks by car park
Wheelchair accessYes throughout site, with some width restrictions
ToiletsYes, with facilities for the disabled
DogsGuide dogs only inside the mansion
Emerson Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 4XA
Phone: 020 8708 8100
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.valentinesmansion.com
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For art and culture lovers…
6 7www.redbridge.gov.uk/enjoyredbridge
Valentines ParkThis award-winning park is next to Valentines Mansion, and was once the parkland to the house. It offers a wide range of family-friendly fun, with weekly Park Runs, events and attractions including:
Bandstand
Lake (boats for hire - seasonal)
Ornamental gardens and flowering meadows
Trees, including a 300-year-old field maple
Nature and wetland areas with diverse wildlife
Cricket pitch for hire
Bowling green
Children’s play areas
FREE tennis courts
Outdoor gym
Entry
FREE
Opening times8am until dusk
Bus123, 128, 167, 179, 296, 396
RailIlford (buses stop outside station)
Underground
Gants Hill (Central line) – see Did you know? on p6
Parking
Pay and display, access via Melbourne Road, Perth Road and Cranbrook Road
BikesCan be used in the park. Racks available next to Emerson Road car park
Wheelchair access Available throughout the park
Refreshments Café by the bandstand
Toilets
By Café
Dogs
Well-behaved dogs on leads welcome
Main entrance to pedestrians on Cranbrook Road, Ilford
What’s nearby?
Ilford town centre, for shopping
Kenneth More Theatre
The borough’s oldest and newest buildings – Ilford Hospital Chapel and Pioneer Point – see page 24
Gants Hill Enjoy the cafes, restaurants and interesting one-off shops at nearby Gants Hill, which is a few minutes’ walk away.
Did you know?
Gants Hill is one of the renowned Art Deco London Underground stations designed by famous architect Charles Holden. The station’s vaulted ceilings were inspired by another of Holden’s projects, the Moscow underground. Holden also designed the free-standing ticket office in Hainault station.
Make a day of itThere are a number of other attractions near Valentines Mansion and Gardens. You could spend the whole day there, but if you want to enjoy more Redbridge attractions, take a look at other interesting places to visit in the Valentines area…
Valentines Park boating lake
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Redbridge is the gateway to the countryside with around 300 hectares of countryside accessible from the Underground station at Fairlop. Hainault Forest Country Park, Roding Valley Country Park and Fairlop Waters offer the visitor a vast area of green open spaces and woodland with a rich variety of animal and plant species.
Adventure play areas
Orienteering course
Café
Events
Fishing lake
Guided walks
Nature trail
Picnic area
Farm/zoo
Hainault Forest Country Park
Our green and pleasant land…
The park is a wildlife sanctuary with ducks, herons, dragonflies, butterflies, and different species of flowers to see, and river-side and woodland areas to explore.
The River Roding is a lowland clay river which is ideal for walking and cycling – and is a useful green cycling link between Wanstead Park and the James Leal Centre. The park is open from 8 am to dusk. See James Leal Centre (page10) for travel and parking information for Ray Park, next to Roding Valley Park.
The 300-acre Hainault Forest Country Park has been open for over 100 years and offers bridleways, woodland, lakes and activities all year round. These include:
EntryFREE
Opening hours7am to dusk, 7 days per week
Bus247
Rail Romford
Underground Hainault (Central line) – see Did you know on page 6
ParkingTwo in park, with pay and display parking
BikesRacks by entrance. Sensible cyclists can use whole site, on paths shared with horse riders
Wheelchair accessOpposite New North Road to lake, car park, café, visitors centre and around the lake
ToiletsYes, with facilities for the disabled
DogsAllowed on a lead
Romford Road, Hainault IG7 Phone: 020 8500 7353Email: [email protected]/hainaultforest
Roding Valley Park
What’s nearby?
Wanstead ParkClaybury ParkHainault Lodge Local Nature Reserve Hainault Forest Golf Course
James Leal Centre
www.redbridge.gov.uk/enjoyredbridge
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Café with indoor and outdoor seating
Sales of home and garden ornaments
Wheelchair access
Interactive computers
Exhibitions and displays with local information
Events and activities
Entry FREE
Opening timesSpring/summer (April-September): Tuesday to Friday, 10:00am to 4:30pm, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4:30pm
Autumn/winter (October-March): Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 3:30pm Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 3:30pm
Monday openings during Bank Holidays and school summer holidays
The Centre offers:
The James Leal Centre The Centre - next to Ray Park - is an interesting modern eco building where you can start or end a visit to the nearby Roding Valley Park. It is also next to a children’s play area with an outdoor gym, tennis and basketball courts.
Redbridge Cycling Centre Among the excellent sporting venues in Redbridge are the fantastic Olympic-sized training tracks at Redbridge Cycling Centre and Fairlop Waters Country Park, including top class water sports at Fairlop Activity Centre. Their facilities are open to all, with cycling on specialist tracks, bouldering, angling, orienteering, sailing and canoeing opportunities just some of the activities on offer...
The traffic-free Centre is open for all cyclists, and has specialist road and off-road tracks. The new complex is playing host to Olympic mountain biking teams, and offers the opportunity for the more adventurous to explore the cycle maps of the borough on a wide range of vehicles. The large stock of hire bikes includes:
Modern eco building…
Bus
275 stops immediately opposite the park gates
Underground Woodford (Central line), 15 minutes’ walk
ParkingPay and display parking in Ray Park
BikesStands available
RefreshmentsCafé
ToiletsYes, with baby changing facilities
DogsGuide dogs only inside Centre
Ray Park, Snakes Lane East, Woodford Green IG8 7JQPhone: 020 8504 9245 or 020 8559 2316 (events)Email: [email protected]
Mountain bikesRoad bikesBMXChildren’s bikesTrailer bikesBikes with child seats
Adapted bikes for disabled users
During school holidays, qualified national cycling coaches offer courses which teach adults and children how to ride.
EntryChild from £1.30 and adult from £2, depending on course, plus bike hire from £9
Opening timesMonday to Thursday, 9am - 8pm, Friday to Sunday, 9am - 5pm
Bus247 bus - Romford Road stop – from Hainault underground (Central line).
UndergroundThe nearest underground station is Fairlop (Central line) which is two miles away
Parking Available
Bikes Bring your own to use on the courses
Wheelchair accessAvailable, call for details
RefreshmentsFrom reception, and separate café area
Toilets Available
DogsGuide dogs only in the Centre
Forest Road, Hainault, Ilford, IG6 3HPPhone: 020 8500 9359Email: [email protected]: www.redbridge.gov.uk/cyclecentreAlso on Facebook and Twitter
1312 www.redbridge.gov.uk/enjoyredbridge
Fairlop Waters is one of Redbridge’s largest parks, and offers an incredible range of activities and areas to explore in beautiful surroundings. A multi-million pound revamp has seen access and facilities improved, and the range of activities expanded to attract people of all ages and interests.
Play areas for adults and children, magnificent waterscapes and organised courses ensure a busy day out for the family.
The expansive natural landscape has been enhanced, with protected species like the great crested newt and nesting birds encouraged back to the park’s new habitats.
Activities on offer include:
Angling
9-hole and 18-hole golf courses
Floodlit driving range
Nature trail
Orienteering course
Windsurfing / sailing lake
Fairlop Outdoor Activity Centre is an ideal place to learn to sail, windsurf and kayak. The 40-acre lake is in the grounds of Fairlop Waters Country Park where the wind across Fairlop Plain ensures a clean breeze for sailors.
Qualified trainers teach dinghy sailing, windsurfing, power-boating and paddle-sports in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Courses are designed to suit all ages and interests.
Did you know?
The historic Fairlop Oak stood in a glade in Hainault Forest approximately where the boathouse on Fairlop Waters now stands.
This was where the Fairlop Fair was held annually on the first Friday in July from around 1725. A Fairlop Fair is still held on the first Friday and Saturday of July. Find out more about Fairlop Fair at Redbridge Museum – see page 23.
Entry FREE to enter the park, call for
membership and activity prices
Opening times Mon-Fri 9.30 – 9.30 - 17.00 and 19.00-21.00 open for members sailing and rowing boat hire; Saturday 10.00- 13.00 and 14.00-16.00 - open for all; Sunday 13.00- 16.00 - open for all
Underground Fairlop (Central line) is within walking distance
Parking Pay and display Wheelchair access Available
Refreshments Available – with a Greek
restaurant offering lakeside views
Toilets Available in the Centre
Dogs Allowed if kept on a lead
Forest Road, Hainault, Essex IG6 3HNPhone: 020 8500 1468Email: [email protected]/fairlop_home.html
Make a day of it…There is plenty to do at Fairlop Outdoor and Redbridge Cycling centres. But if you want to explore further afield when you visit, why not stop off at these attractions…
Claybury Park and Woods
Barkingside High Street
Fullwell Cross Library
Fullwell Cross Leisure Centre, dance studio and spa
St Peter’s Church, Aldborough Hatch
Fairlop Waters Country Park
Bouldering park
The climbing boulder park, the largest in the country, is attracting visitors from far and wide.
It features nine artificial boulders of different shapes and sizes in a leafy glade, with climbs catering for all abilities.
Underground Five minutes’ walk from Fairlop (Central line) station
Forest Road, Barkingside IG6 3HN
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Wanstead
Enjoy a walk around Wanstead, Redbridge’s village with independent shops and great open spaces. You can have a quick cup of coffee on the High Street where a number of cafes, pubs and restaurants offer you plenty of choice.
Historic village…
With an historic Grade II park and a number of lovely buildings, a walk around leafy Wanstead is a must. With a history dating back to Roman times, Wanstead has royal links with the future Henry VIII living in Wanstead as a young man, and hunting there.
Take a walk on the cultural side
If you’re feeling more energetic, there are weekly walks taking in some of the local sights and sounds on Saturdays at 10.30am, starting at Wanstead Place Surgery, London E11 2SW. Or try a longer walk around Wanstead Park starting at Wanstead Park, park entrance, Warren Road, Ell – as part of Redbridge’s Healthy Lifestyles programme. Information on 020 8708 0952
Get a copy of our Walk Redbridge brochure to enjoy 10 special walks around our green borough, two walks to the Olympic Park and four easy walks around our parks.
For a brochure call 020 8708 3044 or go to www.redbridge.gov.uk/walking
Other historic figures with links to Wanstead include:
Quaker founder of US state Pennsylvania, William Penn (1644–1718)
Astronomer James Bradley (1693–1762)
Dramatist (The Rivals and School for Scandal) and MP Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816), who lived in the High Street, probably in Sheridan House
A once magnificent mansion, Wanstead House was demolished, but there are still delightful sights to reward walkers.
Did you know?Wanstead is a haven for wildlife – particularly birds. Reported sightings of red kites, buzzards, swifts, wheatears, whinchats, egrets, lesser whitethroats – and herons, of course.
Visit the Temple in Wanstead Park or Redbridge Museum – see page 23 to learn about Wanstead’s history.
What’s nearby?The Grade I listed St Mary’s Church, Wanstead
Roding Valley Park
Eagle Pond
Snaresbrook
Wanstead Art Trail www.artgroupwanstead.com
Sukkat Shalom Reform SynagogueListed building from 1863 designed by Somers Clarke with sumptuous interior and stained glass windows above ark.
1 Victory Road E11 1UL
Christ ChurchGrade II* listed Victorian church designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott with ragstone tower, spire, stained glass by Kempe and newly-restored William Hill organ and revamped nave and chancel.
Underground Wanstead, Snaresbrook
Buses 66, 101,145, 308, W13, W14
Wanstead Place E11 2SW
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Sir Winston Churchill, voted the Greatest Briton of all time in a poll in 2002, was best-known locally as MP for Epping and Woodford for 35 years.
I want my first words to be ones of sincere thanks for the friendship and kindness the Constituency has showered upon my wife and me during the long years I have had the honour to be your MemberLetter from Churchill during the 1959 election, the ninth and last time he stood as MP for the area.
Woodford Between 1924 and 1964, when Churchill retired aged 88, he served as the MP for the area. By the 1950s he was so well known that his election posters did
not need a name, just a silhouette of his profile with a cigar in his mouth.
He was a regular visitor to the former Conservative HQ in Wanstead High Street and a bust of Churchill still stands in its forecourt.
In 1959 an imposing bronze statue of Churchill by David McFall was unveiled on Woodford Green by Churchill himself.
Churchill is not the only Prime Minister with Woodford links. In the 1920s and
1930s, Clement Attlee, later Labour Prime Minister (1945-1951), lived in Monkhams Avenue, Woodford Green, now marked by a blue plaque.
Another former resident is suffragette campaigner Sylvia Pankhurst (pictured), who lived in Woodford Green from 1924 to 1956, much of that being spent
at a house in Charteris Road. In 1935, Pankhurst commissioned a memorial in Woodford High Road to the victims of Italian aerial bombing in Ethiopia.
For more on key historical figures including Churchill and Pankhurst, and how the area has developed – visit Redbridge Museum – see page 23.
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War heroes buried in pet cemetery In a quiet spot behind pet charity PDSA PetAid in Woodford Bridge Road, is the Ilford PDSA Animal Cemetery. It is the final resting place of more than 3,000 animals, including 12 heroes from World War II that were awarded the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.
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Also in Woodford…
www.redbridge.gov.uk/enjoyredbridge
Contact Gill Hubbard on 01952 290999 to arrange a guided tour of the cemetery
Woodford Bridge Road, Redbridge, Ilford, Essex IG4 5PS
Among these are Pip, a homeless dog who helped rescue people during the London Blitz, fellow search and rescue dog Peter whose courage led him to meet the King and Queen in 1946 and sea cat Simon, buried with full military honours in recognition of his courage under fire. There is a new visitors’ centre and a Garden of Remembrance, designed by Bob Flowerdew of BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time.
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Step into Epping Forest
You can still enjoy the delights of a walk into Epping Forest starting in Redbridge, but the Borough’s links with this ancient woodland go back much further.
The Woodford area is made up of South Woodford, Woodford Green and Woodford Bridge – originally three villages surrounded by Epping Forest dating back to Saxon times.
Epping Forest used to be the hunting ground of the Royal family and Queen
www.redbridge.gov.uk/enjoyredbridge
Elizabeth I even had a hunting lodge there. You can still visit this lodge, built for Elizabeth’s father Henry VIII in 1543. It was constructed as a grandstand or platform to shoot their crossbows from the upper floors. Today it is five minutes’ walk from Chingford Station, with parking on site and free entrance.
Dick Turpin
In the 1730s, 25-year-old butcher Dick Turpin joined the Gregory Gang – poachers who became brutal robbers, raiding local farms. In 1735 Dick became a highwayman, holding up coaches on roads through Hainault and Epping Forests.
Two years later he murdered Thomas Morris in Epping Forest, but he was captured and tried and then executed in York in 1739.
Designed during the 18th century – with input from famous landscape designer Sir Humphrey Repton - the park is made up of extensive meadows, wildlife ponds, wetland areas, managed scrub land and many ancient trees.
It also offers:
A three-hour nature trail, with leaflet
A surfaced traffic-free path for cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians
Natural play area
Woodland art trail
Outdoor gym
Bus169 and 275
UndergroundFairlop and Woodford (Central line)
AddressRavensbourne Gardens, Clayhall, IG5 0XQ
Claybury Woods & Park
Also in the area… Savouring the flavour of the three Woodfords Enjoy an evening eating out in lively George Lane, a night at the cinema, and the charms of the pubs in the area.
This haven of nature conservation covers over 70 hectares, containing an ancient area of oak and hornbeam woodland locally renowned for its variety of woodland spring flowers, including bluebells, veteran trees and fungi.
A diverse shopping experience…
IlfordThe nation’s favourite leisure activity, shopping, is well served in Ilford town centre, with variety offered by the Exchange, markets and nearby Ilford Lane, a thriving area which offers diverse shopping for food, clothing, jewellery and entertainment businesses.
Ilford Exchange shopping centre part lies at the heart of the town centre’s shopping area. The latest building project, the
nearby 32-storey Pioneer Point buildings, offers a new look to the town’s skyline.
Recent names to the town centre are: Wilkinson, Miss Selfridge, Virgin Media, Costa Coffee and Primark, adding to existing stores
Marks and Spencer, Debenhams, River Island, TK Maxx and Waterstone’s.
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The centre offers young people aged five to 21 the chance to take part in a professional performance, and gives the public a year-round opportunity to see live shows in this part of the borough. It has a fully functioning television studio and edit suite where film and videos are made.
Interested? Contact the Centre to find out more….
Redbridge Drama Centre
Phone 020 8504 5451
Website www.redbridgedramacentre.co.uk
Bus 179, 123, 144, W13
UndergroundSouth Woodford
Churchfields, South Woodford E18 2RB
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South WoodfordGeorge LaneSouth Woodford’s shopping area is centred around George Lane and Woodford Green High Road. The area has a number of high street chains as well as a good selection of independent shops, cafes and a post office. Another attraction is the Odeon Cinema – a great example of art deco architecture.
George Lane in the 1920’s
In addition to the high street names, Ilford’s diverse communities support a wealth of specialist and independent retailers ensuring Ilford caters for a wide range of consumer needs.
For residents and visitors from further afield, the new bus routes and buses make getting into Ilford and back home again with all your shopping so much easier.
Ilford LaneRedbridge’s very own Aladdin’s cave tucked away south of Ilford town centre, the area is a shopper’s paradise waiting to be discovered by anyone who wants a different shopping experience from the high streets and malls we have become used to. Ilford Lane reflects the truly vibrant multi-cultural
character of Redbridge with café, restaurants and unusual wares from every corner of the globe. For more information visit www.ilfordlane.com
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Kenneth More Theatre Since it opened in 1975, the theatre in Ilford town centre has served up a diverse programme of amateur and professional performances to the local community with new shows most weeks.
Touching history – from 150,000 years ago…
Redbridge Museum
With a changing exhibitions programme reflecting Redbridge’s diverse communities, events, activities for pre-school children and families and a shop it offers something for everyone – residents and visitors alike.
Key exhibits include:
Ilford’s mammoths
Uphall Iron Age camp
Wanstead House and Park
Fairlop Fair
Barnardo’s
Ilford Ltd. photographic firm
Redbridge at War
Sylvia Pankhurst – see page 17
Sir Winston Churchill – see page 16
Redbridge Museum explores the many places, people and events in over 150,000 years of the borough’s history. Interactive displays, multi-media, a Children’s Trail and touch displays help bring the past to life.
Did you know?
John Logie Baird, who invented the television, moved to Ilford in the mid/late 1920s to work on his new invention.
Entry FREE
Opening times Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm, Saturday 10am-4pm
Bus 25,86,123, 128,129,145,147,150,167, 169,179,296,364,366,369,396,462,W19 (or Ilford town centre)
Rail Ilford
Parking Ilford town centre
Wheelchair accessAvailable
Refreshments Cafe
Toilets Yes, with baby-changing facilities and toilets for people with disabilities
Dogs Guide dogs only in Museum
Central Library, Clements Road, Ilford IG1 1EA Phone: 020 8708 2317Email: [email protected]: www.redbridge.gov.uk/museum
To get involved, or for more details, contact them directly….
Phone020 8553 4466
Email [email protected]
Website www.kmtheatre.co.uk
Oakfield Road, Ilford IG1 1BT
Modern living in the cloudsThe landmark 32-storey Pioneer Point development, a modern beacon of light against Ilford’s night sky, provides sky-high luxury living for its new residents.
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Karamsar GurdwaraStanding on the High Road between Ilford and Seven Kings railway stations, this gurdwara building (pictured above) was converted from a single-story Labour Party Hall. In 1998 work on the new gurdwara began, leading to years of work and its official opening in April 2005. Carved entirely from pink sandstone in Rajasthan, India, it was shipped to the UK and reassembled in situ.
German kingsSeven Kings and Goodmayes, east of Ilford, lie next to the old London to Colchester Roman road. Seven Kings comes from the Saxon ‘Seofecingas’ meaning ‘the settlement of minor king Seofeca’s people’. The Saxons, originally from Germany, established a number of kingdoms in England including Essex.
Also worth seeing…
Seven Kings & Goodmayes
Ilford Hospital ChapelContrast Pioneer Point with Redbridge’s oldest building, established by Adelica the Abbess of Barking in 1145. This Grade II Ilford Hospital Chapel originally provided shelter for 13 lepers and consists of the Chapel and almshouses on either side. Much of the existing Chapel dates from the fourteenth century and it is only north wall that dates from Norman times.www.ilfordhospitalchapel.co.uk
Scottish linksGoodmayes and Seven Kings remained farmland until between 1898 and 1910, when urban developer Cameron Corbett began to build suburban estates.
After Seven Kings (1899) and Goodmayes (1901) stations opened, he built Edwardian terraced housing which still dominates the area. The Scottish street names – like Glencoe Avenue and Perth and Elgin Roads – reflect his Scottish ancestry.
Whats nearby?
Ilford Town Centre
Ilford Lane
Valentines Park
Gants Hill
Redbridge Central LibraryRedbridge Central Library has had a major refurbishment. Key improvements include an innovative children’s library, coffee shop, more study areas, comfortable seating, i pad docks, spaces for laptop users with free wifi, self-service machines and a welcome desk with staff on hand to help library users.
Opening timesMonday – Friday 9.30am-8pmSaturday – 9.30am-4pmClosed Bank holidays and Sundays
Central Library, Clements Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1EAPhone: 020 8708 2414Email: [email protected] details of all Redbridge libraries: www.redbridge.gov.uk/libraries
Visiting Seven Kings and Goodmayes is like a step into the diversity of the “real East End” with its popular pubs, Edwardian villas, cafés offering fry-up breakfasts, and an amazing pink sandstone Sikh place of worship…
Sights of a diverse East End…
Make a day of it…Take a 60-70 minute stroll from Ilford War Memorial to Barkingside past some of our historic sites. Details of the Aldborough Walk on Redbride i www.redbridge.gov.uk
26 27Shop in our oldest high street…
Barkingside
Also in the area…Take a 60-70 minute stroll from Barkingside to Ilford War Memorial past some of our historic sites. Details of the Aldborough Hatch Walk on Redbridge i www.redbridge.gov.uk
The Ha’penny Brewing Company family-run specialist real ale business started in 2003 operating from Aldborough Hall Farm. See www.hapenny-brewing.co.uk
Horse riding at Aldborough Hall www.aldboroughhall-equestrian.co.uk
Forest Farm Peace Garden, Hainault – a community project brought to life (open Wednesdays and Fridays from 11am to 4pm)
Did you know?Barnardo’s, the well-known children’s charity was founded at Barkingside in 1866 by Dr Thomas John Barnardo, and its national headquarters are still based there. To complement the Barnado’s Home for Boys in Stepney the Barnardo’s Home for Girls was built in Barkingside in1875 and was made up of 48 cottages, five larger households and a chapel.
To find out more, visit Redbridge Museum (see p23).
Fullwell Cross Leisure CentreThe revamped Fullwell Cross Leisure Centre now includes a spa and ultra-modern gym. It also offers:
25-metre and teaching swimming poolsdiving boardsdance studio contemporary spayouth fitness
swimming lessons
Opening timesMonday to Friday: 7.30am to 10pmSaturday and Sunday: 8am to 9pm
Phone: 020 8550 2366www.redbridge.gov.ukemail: [email protected] Cross Leisure Centre, High Street, Barkingside IG6 2EA
Buses 128, 150, 167, 169, 247, 275, 462 all within a short walking distance
Underground Barkingside, Fairlop
Fullwell Cross Library: 140 High Street, Barkingside, Ilford, IG6 2EAPhone: 020 8708 9281 Email: [email protected]
Enjoy High Street shopping in historic Barkingside… one of Redbridge’s oldest shopping areas with history dating back to Iron Age.
It has great transport links. Barkingside is serviced by two Central line underground stations and has always been a sought after place to live – principally because of the excellent local schools.
Barkingside developed as a small hamlet on the edge of Hainault Forest, but is now a bustling place to live, work and shop in.
More is planned, with a £2m town centre improvement programme and activities linked to Fairlop Waters.
Fullwell Cross library
This distinctive circular building of Fullwell Cross Library, with its copper-topped central lantern providing light into the centre of the building below, was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd and opened in 1968. Gibberd is a key figure in British modernist architecture; he also designed Heathrow Airport.
Redbridge Sports & Leisure
Redbridge Sports & Leisure caters for a wide range of sports and leisure activities.
The Centre was used as an Olympic training venue and benefited from a major investment, including a new badminton hall and netball centre. Other facilities include: indoor and floodlit tennis courts, squash courts and hockey/soccer pitches. There are also fitness facilities, a health suite and café, bar and bistro.
Phone: 020 8498 100www.rslonline.co.ukemail: [email protected] Sports & Leisure, Forest Road, Barkingside IG6 3HD
28 29www.redbridge.gov.uk/enjoyredbridge
Planning your visit
Ideas at a glance…
Other parts of Redbridge are well served by London Underground, with 10 Central line underground tube stations:
Travel at a glance…Redbridge is easy to get to using public transport. Ilford town centre is only eight minutes from Stratford on the train, and 18 minutes from London Liverpool Street.
Entertainment ................................................................................................ Kenneth More Theatre Redbridge Drama Centre Gants Hill night clubs Ilford FC Cricket at Valentines
Eating out ......................................................................................................... Barkingside High Street Wanstead Gants Hill George Lane Ilford Town Centre
For kids .............................................................................................................. Cycling Museum Water sports Art at Valentines Bouldering at Fairlop
Shopping .......................................................................................................... Ilford Lane Wanstead Woodford Green Barkingside High Street Gants Hill
National Express trains run from London Liverpool Street and Shenfield, stopping at:
Ilford
Seven Kings
Goodmayes
Chadwell Heath
Journey planner and information from National Rail website www.nationalrail.co.uk
Many London bus routes run through the borough.
No. 25 bus runs from Ilford town centre to Oxford Circus through key parts of east London
No. 86 bus runs from Ilford town centre to Stratford town centre, home to the Olympics
Numerous other bus routes run services to other parts of the borough and neighbouring areas, including Newham, Tower Hamlets, Barking and Dagenham and Havering.
Woodford
South Woodford
Snaresbrook
Wanstead
Redbridge
Gants Hill
Newbury Park
Barkingside
Fairlop
Hainault
For your Journey planner and more information visit the Transport for London website www.tfl.gov.uk
30 31www.redbridge.gov.uk/enjoyredbridgeLots to see and do…
Planning your visit
Getting to Redbridge by carRedbridge is well served by a number of major road networks like the A12 and north circular A406 roads, and offer a network from Felixstowe and Harwich ports to City Airport, the Olympic Park and north west London. The M11 link gives access to the M25, Stansted Airport and Cambridge. We are:
10 minutes from Stratford
20 minutes from Liverpool Street
15 minutes from the M25
50 minutes from Cambridge
ParkingInformation on our car parks is available on our website, Redbridge i www.redbridge.gov.uk
CyclingRedbridge is a bike-friendly borough, with many of its attractions welcoming careful cyclists and providing racks. It boasts a unique Cycle Centre (see page 11) where you can ride your own bikes around a variety of tracks, or you can hire bikes to try out.
There are a number of bike routes around the borough - many highlighted in this guide.
For more ideas, including security marking, courses and other cycle routes, see Redbridge’s website www.redbridge.co.uk
WANSTEAD
PARKROAD
M11
A406
A406
FENC
EPIECE
RO
AD
TOMSWOOD
HILL
NEW NORTHROADMANFORD WAY
BROCKET WAYROMFORD
ROAD
FORESTROAD
HAINAU
LTR
OADCLAYHALL AVENUE
LONGWOODGARDENS
CRAN
BROOK
ROAD
HO
RN
SR
OAD
AVENUEEASTERNCR
ANBRO
OK
ROAD
NORTHCIRCULAR
ROAD
LEY
STR
EET
ALDB
ORO
UGH
RD.
STH
.
HIGH ROAD
HIGH ROAD
BAR
LEY
LANE
CHADWELL
HEATHLAN E
GO
OD
MAY
ESLA
NE
GREEN LANE
SOU TH
PARK
DRIVE
WINSTONWAY
ILFORD
LANE
CAMBRIDGE PARK
HERM
ONHI
LL
WO
ODF
ORD
RO
A D
WOODFORDAVENUE
HIG
HRO
AD
CHIG
WEL
L
ROAD MO
TORW
AY
HIGH
ROAD
NEWBURY PARKSTATION
BARKINGSIDESTATION
FAIRLOPSTATION
HAINAULTSTATION
GANTS HILLSTATION
REDBRIDGE STATION
WANSTEADSTATION
SNARESBROOKSTATION
SOUTH WOODFORD STATION
WOODFORDSTATION
CHADWELL HEATHSTATION
GOODMAYESSTATION
SEVEN KINGSSTATION
ILFORD STATION
Reproduced with permission. © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved.
Fairlop Waters Country Park
Churchill Statue
Redbridge Cycling Centre
Epping Forest
Redbridge Museum
Valentines Mansion & Gardens
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Interested? For more information see:www.tripadvisor.co.uk for places to eat and stay in Woodford, Gants Hill, Chigwell and Ilford.
Stay up to date Events listings online
See our website Redbridge i for the latest events www.redbridge.gov.uk/events There are regular arts, craft and vintage fairs and other events and activities that local interest groups and community groups organise.
In print
Look out for DoMore, our quarterly guide to events and activities in the Borough, which is available from libraries and delivered free with Redbridge Life, the Council’s newspaper.
Email newsletters
RedbridgeLive – monthly email bulletin on local services www.redbridge.gov.uk/updatesDoMore email – monthly alerts on events and activities www.redbridge.gov.uk/domore
Social mediaFollow@RedbridgeLive www.facebook.com/redbridgelive
www.redbridge.gov.uk
London Borough of
