Manor Park is a residential area of the
London Borough of Newham
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham, authorities that were both abolished by the s ...
in east London, England. The area is bordered by
Ilford to the east,
Forest Gate
Forest Gate is a district in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England. It is located northeast of Charing Cross.
The area's name relates to its position adjacent to Wanstead Flats, the southernmost part of Epping Forest. The town ...
to the west,
Wanstead
Wanstead () is a town in East London, England, in the London Borough of Redbridge. It borders South Woodford to the north, Redbridge, London, Redbridge to the east and Forest Gate to the south, with Leytonstone and Walthamstow to the west. It is ...
to the north, and
East Ham
East Ham is a district of the London Borough of Newham, England, 8 miles (12.8 km) east of Charing Cross. East Ham is identified in the London Plan as a Major Centre. The population is 76,186.
It was originally part of the Becontree Hun ...
to the south.
It was originally a part of the
hundred of Becontree, and part of the
historic county of
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
.
Since 1965, Manor Park has been part of the London Borough of Newham, a
local government district
The districts of England (also known as local authority districts or local government districts to distinguish from unofficial city districts) are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. As the st ...
of Greater London. The area forms the majority of the
London E12 postcode district.
History
The area known as Manor Park is not formally defined, but is more or less coterminous with the
Ancient Parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority. ...
of
Little Ilford
Little Ilford is a district of London, England in the London Borough of Newham and the name of a ward in that borough.
Little Ilford is now usually referred to as Manor Park.'Little Ilford', in A History of the County of Essex: Volume 6, ed. W ...
. Romford Road, the Roman Road from
Aldgate
Aldgate () was a gate in the former defensive wall around the City of London. It gives its name to Aldgate High Street, the first stretch of the A11 road, which included the site of the former gate.
The area of Aldgate, the most common use of ...
to
Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian.
Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...
, is the main east–west route through the area. This well-established coaching route linking the city with the towns of Essex was, from 1721, maintained by the Middlesex and Essex turnpike trust. The principal local road ran south from the Romford Road and the northern end was known in the 18th century and later as White Post Lane (now known as High Street North), from a post standing at its junction with Romford Road. The 'White Post' appears to have stood on the site of the Earl of Essex Public House. A hamlet known as North End was located amongst fields that dominated this area.
By the middle of the next century the rural scene had begun to change as the railways started to spread outwards from London, followed by the development of estates of suburban houses. There were three railway stations close by - Forest Gate which first opened in 1840; Manor Park which opened in 1873 and Woodgrange Park which opened in 1894. Tramways operated along the Romford Road.
The beginnings of development along the south of Romford Road took place in 1867, especially close to the junction of High Street North and the site of the future Earl of Essex public house. Behind terraces of workers' houses was an animal charcoal works, an unpleasant and noxious manufacturing process involving the carcasses of dead horses. Animal charcoal was used as a filter, particularly in the sugar industry. As the area became more built up such trades disappeared and the charcoal works had gone by the 1890s, replaced by a Board School (Salisbury junior mixed and infants) which opened in 1893.
Apart from four pairs of small semi-detached agricultural workers' houses known as Ebor Cottages, the area to the north of Romford Road was ripe for development and the owners, the Gurney family, sold 110 acres of market garden land to Thomas Corbett in 1877. The Corbett family built the Woodgrange and Durham Road estates between 1877 and 1892. The Forest Gate Weekly recorded the attractiveness of the estate, it having 'the three great essentials to the average city man of easy access, reasonable rentals and a first class local market.'
By the 1890s Forest Gate was an upmarket suburb for the aspiring middle class commuter, who could use the Eastern Counties Railway from Manor Park to travel to the city. The area around the junction of Manor Park and White Post Lane (later High Street North) became an important shopping and provisioning area for nearby residents who populated the new streets in the area. In 1898 1,129 houses, accommodating about 6000 inhabitants were built in Little Ilford on the site of the old Manor Farm.
Geography
Manor Park was part of the
County Borough of East Ham
East Ham was a local government district in the far south west of Essex from 1878 to 1965. It extended from Wanstead Flats in the north to the River Thames in the south and from Green Street in the west to Barking Creek in the east. It was part o ...
,
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
, until 1965, when the Greater London county was formed. The area postcode is and it is part of
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
post town
A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system.Royal Mail, ''Address Management Guide'', (2004) Including the correct post town in the address increases ...
.
Transport
Romford Road, a stretch of the A118, runs for much of its length in both Newham and
Redbridge, providing the main road route through Manor Park and linking the eastern districts with the city of London.
The main public transport link is the
Elizabeth Line
The Elizabeth line is a high-frequency hybrid Urban rail, urban–suburban rail service in London and its suburbs. It runs services on dedicated infrastructure in central London from the Great Western Main Line west of London Paddington statio ...
, which you can catch at
Manor Park railway station
Manor Park railway station is on the Great Eastern Main Line serving Manor Park in the London Borough of Newham, east London. It is down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between and . Its three-letter station code is M ...
. Trains to Liverpool Street station run every ten minutes. Nearby
Woodgrange Park station is on the Barking to Gospel Oak line, popularly referred to at the Goblin, which is part of the
London Overground
London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a Urban rail in the United Kingdom, suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, (via archive.org). it now serves a ...
network. Both stations are in Zone 3.
Durham Road Conservation Zone
The Durham Road Conservation Zone is a small late-Victorian development, built close to Manor Park station. It was designated a Conservation Area in 1984 to retain its original charm and character. Additional planning controls were introduced in 1998 to protect and enhance its special character. The area, popularly referred to as Manor Park Village, was originally developed in the 1880s on farmland that formed part of the Gurney estate. It was built by one builder to an overall plan, with a limited range of house styles giving the area a distinctive character and unity. The developers, the Corbett family, built several suburban estates including the adjacent Woodgrange Estate in Forest Gate.
Open Spaces
Manor Park's
Itchycoo Park
"Itchycoo Park" is a song written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane, first recorded by their group, the Small Faces. Largely written by Lane, it was one of the first music recordings to feature flanging, an effect at that time made possible by e ...
(officially Little Ilford Park) was made famous in a song by the
Small Faces
Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The band w ...
, whose lead singer
Steve Marriott
Stephen Peter Marriott (30 January 1947 – 20 April 1991) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He co-founded and played in the rock bands Small Faces and Humble Pie, in a career spanning over two decades. Marriott was inducted po ...
lived in the area.
Education
Manor Park is home to many primary schools, with Salisbury primary school, which opened in 1893, being accessible by the main Romford Road or High Street North.
Community resources
A number of council-run, charity-supported and independent community centres and education initiatives are active in the area:
* The Froud Centre
* Hathaway Community Centre (now closed)
* Jack Cornwell Community Centre
* London Tamil Sangam
* Manor Park Community Centre
* Manor Park Library
* Trinity Community Centre
Sport
Manor Park also has an amateur football team called
A.C. Manor Park playing in the AFL.
Notable people associated with Manor Park
*
Michael Blaney,
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
bomb disposal officer from
Newry
Newry (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland, divided by the Clanrye river in counties Armagh and Down, from Belfast and from Dublin. It had a population of 26,967 in 2011.
Newry was founded in 1144 alongside a Cistercian monastery, althoug ...
; died when a bomb he was trying to defuse exploded in Manor Park; Blaney Cresecent in East Ham is named after him; awarded the
George Cross
The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...
*
Clive Burr
Clive Ronald Burr (8 March 1957 – 13 March 2013) was an English drummer. He was a member of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1979 to 1982.
Career
Previously a member of Samson, Burr joined Iron Maiden in 1979. Auditioning and joining ...
, drummer with
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
, grew up in Manor Park
*
Jack Cornwell
John Travers Cornwell VC (8 January 1900 – 2 June 1916), commonly known as Jack Cornwell or as Boy Cornwell, is remembered for his gallantry at the Battle of Jutland during World War I. Having died at the age of only 16, he was posthumously ...
, teenage recipient of the
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, grew up in Manor Park and is buried at the
Manor Park Cemetery
*
Greer Garson
Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was an English-American actress and singer. She was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second World War for her portrayal of strong women on the hom ...
,
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology), ...
-winning film actress, born in Manor Park in 1904
*
Bobby George
Robert Francis George (born 16 December 1945) is an English television presenter and former professional darts player. He is widely recognised as one of the game's biggest personalities, known for his flamboyant entrances in which the "King ...
, darts player and pundit. Born in Manor Park, 1945.
*
Jimmy Greaves
James Peter Greaves (20 February 1940 – 19 September 2021) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. Greaves is regarded as one of England’s best ever players. He is England's fifth-highest international goalscorer ...
, footballer, born Manor Park in 1940.
*
Stanley Holloway
Stanley Augustus Holloway (1 October 1890 – 30 January 1982) was an English actor, comedian, singer and monologist. He was famous for his comic and character roles Stanley Holloway on stage and screen, on stage and screen, especially t ...
, actor, born at 25 Albany Road (at which there is an
English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that i ...
blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term i ...
erected in 2009)
*
Steve Marriott
Stephen Peter Marriott (30 January 1947 – 20 April 1991) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He co-founded and played in the rock bands Small Faces and Humble Pie, in a career spanning over two decades. Marriott was inducted po ...
, lead singer and guitarist of
Small Faces
Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The band w ...
and
Humble Pie
Humble Pie are an English rock band formed by guitarist and singer Steve Marriott in Moreton, Essex, in 1969. They are known as one of the first supergroups of the late 1960s and found success in the early 1970s with songs such as " Black Cof ...
, was born in Manor Park
*
Kele Okereke
Rowland Kelechukwu Okereke (born 13 October 1981), also known mononymously as Kele, is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party.
Early life
Okerek ...
, lead singer of
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are an English Rock music, rock band, composed of Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, sampler), Russell Lissack (lead guitar, keyboards), Justin Harris (bass guitar, keyboards, saxophones, backing vocals) and Loui ...
, is from Manor Park
*
Matt Taylor, space scientist, who landed the Rosetta spacecraft on a comet. Born in Manor Park, 1973.
References
External links
The Newham StoryThe Newham Story ForumThe TechshopStudioE12an
TradeSkills E12homepages
Manor Park Village Community Website
{{Areas of London
Manor Park, London
Areas of London
Stratford, London