East Ham
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
East Ham is a place in the London Borough of Newham. It is a built-up district located 8 miles (12.8 km) east north-east of Charing Cross.
The principal offices of Newham Council are located on the corner of Barking Road and the High Street in the former East Ham Town Hall, a grand Edwardian structure with a clock tower built between 1901 and 1903 and opened by Passmore Edwards on the 5th of February 1903.
To the north of East Ham is Manor Park and Little Ilford, to the east over the North Circular Road is Barking, to the west is Upton Park and to the south over the A13 is Beckton and London City Airport.
Housing in East Ham consists principally of Victorian and Edwardian terraced town houses, often in tree-lined avenues, which radiate from the High Street. Mass transport is provided by East Ham tube station and bus services which form a hub near the Town Hall.
East Ham lends its name to the House of Commons constituency of East Ham, which covers East Ham and neighbouring areas. The current MP is Stephen Timms.
East Ham became an Urban District Council of Essex in 1894 and was incorporated as a Borough on the 10th of August 1903. As a result of popular pressure East Ham sought and obtained County Borough status; becoming, in modern terms, a Unitary Authority in 1914, taking control of administrative activities on the 1st of April 1915 and remaining such until 1965 when it was merged with the County Borough of West Ham to form the London Borough of Newham.
In 1859 East Ham railway station opened and, although in 1863 the area was still being described as a "scattered village" the availability of transport resulted in increasing urbanization, especially from 1890 onwards.
East Ham has a large multi-cultural society, predominantly made up of south Asians, African /Carribean and eastern Europeans; although until recent years it has mostly been the home of white working class people who worked on the docks. There are many stores and restaurants that specialise in ethnic tastes, including, The Calabash (Caribbean), Saravana Bhavan (Indian), King of Kings (Cantonese) and Kebabish (Greek & Asian). There are also the traditional East End eateries, including the century-old Robin's, who specialise in the traditional East End dish of pie, mash and jellied eels, although, of course, East Ham is not considered part of the East End proper, having only become part of London in 1965.
There are various places of worship for many different religions, ranging from St. Michael's Church to Plashet Grove Mosque. The Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene dates to Norman times and is claimed to be the oldest parish church still in use in London. It contians a memorial to an Edmond Nevill, who laid claim to the attainted title of Earl of Westmoreland in the 17th century.
West Ham United FC is located on the western border of East Ham and the eastern border of Upton Park, in the Tudor district of the town. Places where there are live screenings on matchdays, attracting large contingents of fans, include The Boleyn (Green Street), Earl of Wakefield (Katherine Road), Green Man (Katherine Road) and Denmark Arms (High Street North) public houses, and also the East Ham Working Men's Club, situated at the merging of Boleyn Road and Cleves Road.
There are many places of natural beauty in the otherwises bustling area of East Ham. The East Ham Nature Reserve is the largest reserve of its kind in London, housing a number of different species of insect and butterfly for naturalists. Central Park (Central Park Road) and Plashet Park (Plashet Grove) are the two largest parks in East Ham, and both combine open space with playgrounds and cafés. There are also smaller play areas and parks, including Priory Park (Grangewood Street) and Flanders Field, famous for supplying the late former England captain Sir Bobby Moore with space for him to ply his future trade.
There are many sporting opportunities for young residents of East Ham to participate in, thanks mainly to the success of the London 2012 Olympics bid being staged in Newham. The main focal points of sporting opportunities are in East Ham Leisure Centre (Barking Road) and Langdon Comprehensive Secondary School (Sussex Road).
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[edit] People associated with East Ham
- Andrew Carnegie Honorary Freeman
- John Passmore Edwards Honorary Freeman
- Elizabeth Fry Prison reformer, lived in Plashet House form 1809 to 1829
- Baron Bethell Former mayor, later MP
- William Stukeley The Rev. Dr Stukeley, antiquarian, is buried in the cemetry at the Parish Church of St Mary Magdelene
- Dick Turpin allegedly lived in a house at the corner of Market Street (Alfred Stokes "East Ham from village to County Borough")
- David Bailey (photographer) moved to East Ham, at the age of three
- Gary Brooker, (Vocalist & piano player for Procul Harum)
- Terrance Dicks (author and scriptwriter, including Doctor Who), was born in East Ham, and attended East Ham GS
- Jimmy Greaves (Footballer, born in East Ham)
- Noele Gordon (actress, born in East Ham)
- Grime MC Kano
- Stanley Holloway (actor, born in East Ham)
- Frank Lampard Sr. (was born in East Ham)
- Gary Lewin. former Arsenal goalkeeper, now Arsenal and England physio
- Vera Lynn (born Vera Margaret Welch in East Ham)
- Bert Weedon, whose guitar tabulation was responsible for many a rock career, born in East Ham
- Benjamin Zephaniah lives in East Ham
[edit] Transport
[edit] Nearest places
[edit] Tube and railway stations
- Barking station
- Beckton DLR station
- East Ham tube station
- Manor Park railway station
- Upton Park tube station
- Woodgrange Park railway station
[edit] Maps
| London Borough of Newham | |
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Districts: Beckton | Canning Town | East Ham | Forest Gate | Manor Park | Plaistow | Stratford | Upton Park | West Ham Attractions: ExCeL Exhibition Centre | London City Airport | Royal Docks | Thames Barrier | West Ham Park Constituencies: East Ham | West Ham | Poplar and Canning Town |
