Borough

Havering

About:

The London Borough of Havering is in East London and forms part of Outer London.

The name 'Havering' devolves from the Royal Liberty of Havering, to which Edward IV granted a charter in 1465. The modern borough takes its name from this ancient demesne, although it covers areas that were not part of the old Royal Manor.

Looking at the busy commercial centres of the borough today it is hard to believe that, less than a hundred years ago, Havering was a scattered group of small towns and villages strung across a landscape of open fields.

As suburbia spread in the twentieth century the area changed beyond recognition. Part of this huge building project included the Harold Hill, once Europe's largest council estate, and Romford Garden Suburb, an area of Gidea Park created as part of an international architecture competition. The suburb is a hidden gem that features homes by Clough Williams-Ellis, the creator of Portmerion in Wales, and Berthold Lubetkin, who built the Penguin House at London Zoo.

Routes that go through Havering:

London Outer Orbital Path (LOOP):

Section 20 (Chigwell to Havering-atte-Bower)

Section 21 (Havering-atte-Bower to Harold Wood)

Section 22 (Harold Wood to Upminster Bridge)

Section 23 (Upminster Bridge to Rainham)

Section 24 (Rainham to Purfleet)

Interesting places on or near the route:

Ingrebourne River
The Marshes

Population:

224,248 which is 3.1% of the total London population (2001 Census)

Area:

114 square kilometres

Tube:

The District line terminates in the borough. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/ for more information.

Rail:

Rail services are provided by one (Romford to Upminster route, Shenfield Metro route, Great Eastern Main Line) and c2c. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/rail/ for more information.

Bus:

There is an extensive network of London Bus routes in the borough. Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/buses/ for more information.

Green space:

Much of the borough was protected from development by the Green Belt laws introduced after World War II such that more than half the borough is parkland. Its parks and open spaces range from the large urban park to village greens and there are more than a hundred of them in total, mostly in the care of Havering London Borough Council.