Hainault
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hainault is a place in the London Borough of Redbridge in East London. It is a suburban development located 12.2 miles (19.6 km) north east of Charing Cross. It was part of Essex until 1965, when the Greater London administrative area was created.
The area is part of the green belt and the suburb of Hainault is bordered on the east by Hainault Forest Country Park, by open land to the north and the boundary with the Epping Forest district of Essex.
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[edit] History
The name Hainault was recorded as 'Hyneholt' in 1239, and means 'monastic woodland'. There is no connection with King Edward III's wife, Philippa of Hainault.
[edit] Development
The development came about as a result of the fact that, on 22 August 1856, the Great Eastern Railway built a line between Stratford and Loughton. From this line at Woodford Junction, they opened in 1903 a loop line to Ilford. Hainault was one of the stations on that line.
Although it had been hoped that housing development would ensue from the building of the railway, it was a long time in coming. For some while Hainault station was in fact closed; development began in the late 1920s, and the station was subsequently reopened on 3 March 1931. As a result of the London Passenger Transport Board New Works Programme 1935–40 (not completed until 1948 because of World War II) the line was taken over from the LNER and converted for use by London Underground trains. By this time the suburb of Hainault was completed.
