Romford
Town in Greater London, England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Romford is a large town in East London, England, 14 miles (23 km) northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Havering, the town is one of the major metropolitan centres of Greater London identified in the London Plan.[2]
Romford | |
---|---|
Clockwise from top: Parish Church of St Edward the Confessor; Havering Town Hall; South Street; Havering Museum (former Ind Coope brewery); The Liberty Shopping Centre | |
Location within Greater London | |
Population | 122,854 (2011 Census)[1] |
OS grid reference | TQ510887 |
• Charing Cross | 14.1 mi (22.7 km) SW |
London borough | |
Ceremonial county | Greater London |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | ROMFORD |
Postcode district | RM1-RM7 |
Dialling code | 01708 |
Police | Metropolitan |
Fire | London |
Ambulance | London |
UK Parliament | |
London Assembly | |
51.5768°N 0.1801°E / 51.5768; 0.1801 |
Historically part of the ancient parish of Hornchurch in the Becontree hundred of Essex, it has been a market town since 1247. It formed the administrative centre of the liberty of Havering until that liberty was dissolved in 1892, and became a civil parish of its own in 1849.[3][4] Good road links to London and the opening of the railway station in 1839 were key to the development of the town.[3] The economic history of Romford is characterised by a shift from agriculture to light industry and then to retail and commerce.[3]
As part of the suburban growth of London throughout the 20th century, Romford significantly expanded and increased in population, becoming a municipal borough in 1937. In 1965, following reform of local government in London, it merged with the Hornchurch Urban District to form the London Borough of Havering, and was incorporated into Greater London.[5][6][7] Today, it is one of the largest commercial, retail, entertainment and leisure districts in London and has a well-developed night-time economy.[8][9] The population of Romford, as of the 2011 census, was 122,854.[10]