Chadwell Heath
| Chadwell Heath | |
| Essex | |
|---|---|
 St Chad's Church, Chadwell Heath | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ485885 |
| Location: | 51°34’33"N, -0°8’38"E |
| Data | |
| Population: | 24,278 (2011) |
| Post town: | Romford / Dagenham |
| Postcode: | RM6, RM8 |
| Dialling code: | 020 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Redbridge / Barking and Dagenham |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Dagenham and Rainham Ilford South |
Chadwell Heath is a village of Essex which has become a contiguous area within the metropolitan conurbation around two miles west of Romford and four miles east of Ilford, and twelve miles north-east of Charing Cross.
History
Foundation and growth
The name 'Chadwell' was first recorded in 1254 as Chaudewell and means 'the cold spring'. The name was first applied to a settlement on the Barking side of the ancient boundary between the parishes of Dagenham and Barking. It was also known as Chadwell Street.[1] In the 17th century the Blackheath Common in Dagenham parish was renamed 'Chadwell Heath'.[1] As the settlements merged the Chadwell Street name was lost in favour of Chadwell Heath.
The London to Colchester Roman road led to some early development while much of the rest of the area remained rural.
The railway was constructed through the area from Romford and Ilford and in 1864 Chadwell Heath Railway Station was opened.[1] It was the end of the line for both the London tram system and later the electric trolley bus service from Aldgate. The trolley buses turned around at Station Road and Wangey Road.
Suburban growth commenced in 1900 and proceeded rapidly until First World War, increasing after the war.[1]
During the World Wars
The area suffered several bomb hits during Second World War. A large parachute mine also exploded causing extensive residential damage in Bennett Road, destroying the school, while a second failed to explode and its parachute became entangled in horse-chestnut trees near Chadwell Heath Station. It did not explode because it was cradled in very soft soil as the result of digging near Hemmings Bakery. It was found by Walter Wiffen, a train guard from Cedar Park Gardens on his way to work at the station early the next morning. He reported it at the police station, which is now the Eva Hart pub, and oversaw the evacuation of Cedar Park Gardens to the bomb shelter at the corner of Wangey Road and the High Road. A V2 rocket landed on Blackbush Avenue killing several people and blowing out windows for half a mile around. Later, the local council replaced the windows with much more modern frames, and the results provided an incongruous look to the older house designs. A heavy anti-aircraft battery was located east of Whalebone Lane North and traces of the concrete emplacements remain today. A V2 Rocket destroyed two houses in Woodlands Avenue and damaged the houses that had been repaired after the landmine that had destroyed the Whalebone Junior school in Bennett Road.
About the village
A local pub is known the Eva Hart, after a local lady (who died 1996): she lived in Chadwell Heath for a large part of her life and was one of the few people who survived the sinking of the Titanic. It was formerly a police station.
The local park is St Chad's Park. It is the oldest park in the area, being laid in 1830. It contains an outdoor gym for public use.
There is an Art Deco former cinema on Chadwell Heath High Road, built in May 1934 and originally called the Embassy Cinema; later it became part of the Gaumont British Circuit. During the late 1960s, it was converted into a Bingo Hall. It now houses Mayfair Venue, an events centre.
Churches
- Church of England: St Chad's
- Baptist Church: (two churches)
- United Reformed Church
- Brethren Assembly
- Roman Catholic: St Bede
Sport
- Bowling: St Chad's Bowling Club, founded well over 60 years ago.
- Football: West Ham United's training ground was located in the area until late 2015
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Chadwell Heath) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 A History of the County of Essex - Volume 5 pp 267-281: Dagenham: Introduction and manors (Victoria County History)