Stories of the Lane: Place
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Stories from Ilford Lane Part 2
An exhibition by Redbridge Museum and Redbridge Council about the history of Ilford Lane.
Ilford Lane is one of the most historic parts of the London Borough of Redbridge.
The area’s history stretches back over 200,000 years to the Ice Age.
For most of its history, Ilford Lane was a narrow country lane surrounded by farms and fields. It was then known as ‘Barking Lane’ since Barking was the most important town in the area. Its name was changed to ‘Ilford Lane’ in 1900 when Ilford started to expand rapidly.
In 1900, Ilford started to expand rapidly as hundreds of new houses, shops, and facilities were built. In recognition of this growth, the road was renamed ‘Ilford Lane’.
Today, Ilford Lane is a bustling and vibrant part of the London Borough of Redbridge. Uncover its rich history in this online exhibition.
Redbridge Museum, based in Redbridge Central Library, Ilford, explores 200,000 years of history in Ilford, Wanstead, and Woodford. The family-friendly displays are packed full of fascinating personal stories. To find out more, visit www.visionrcl.org.uk/centre/redbridge-museum
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Village to Suburb: 1890 -1910
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Village to Suburb: 1890 -1910
Between 1890 and 1910, Ilford was transformed from a small Essex village into a suburb of London.
Farms and fields were replaced by thousands of new houses. Fast, regular trains made the area a desirable place for City commuters and workers. The population grew rapidly.
Around Ilford Lane, schools, shops, parks, churches, a theatre, a cinema, sports and social clubs were built to serve these new communities. The Howards chemical factory and Ilford Limited photography company provided local employment.
Ilford Lane
In 1879, the Clements estate which faced the High Road was sold. This led to house building on the north-eastern side of Ilford Lane, including Albert Road and Cleveland Road.
Between 1897 and 1900, Uphall Farm to the west of Ilford Lane was sold for housing and the construction of Howards chemical factory.
In 1896, most of Loxford Hall’s land was sold, leading to house building on the eastern side of Ilford Lane from 1901. Loxford Hall itself remained a small farm until 1922 when its land was sold to Ilford Council a year later for allotments (which opened in 1926) and the building of Loxford Park in 1932. Around this time, new houses were built to the west of the Park from Brockenhurst Gardens to Southbourne Gardens.
Ilford Lane, looking north, about 1902 Redbridge Heritage Centre p3614
Ilford Lane, looking south, about 1902 Redbridge Heritage Centre p4054
These two photographs show Ilford Lane on the cusp of change. In the first, the photographer is looking north up to the top of Ilford Lane, with the junction of Ilford Hill and the Broadway in the distance. Roden Street can be seen on the left. The Hope pub is the taller building in centre of the row of shops.
The second photograph (looking south) shows the buildings at the top of Ilford Lane, including the Hope pub. The weather-boarded shop looks ancient and housed a shaving saloon.
All of these were demolished in 1907 when the Ilford Hippodrome variety theatre was built at the top of Ilford Hill and the Broadway. The Hope pub was also rebuilt. During the Second World War, the Hippodrome was badly damaged by a V2 rocket on 12 January 1945 and was demolished in 1957. Offices, shops, and a new pub, ‘The Hope Revived’, was built on the site.
Ilford Lane, looking north, Kingston Road is on the right, about 1920 Redbridge Heritage Centre p25
By the time of this photograph, much of Ilford Lane had been developed for shops or housing. A tram to Barking can be seen in this photograph. Ilford Council ran electric trams from 1903 to 1933. They carried commuters to train stations, and shoppers to and from Ilford. In 1933, the service was taken over by the London Passenger Transport Board. In 1938, trams were replaced by trolleybuses and in 1959, these were replaced by motor buses.
Hovis sign, 2025 Redbridge Museum
Amazingly, the advertising sign for Hovis bread, painted on the gable end wall of Cutmore the bakers which can be seen on the far left of the 1920 photograph, still survives in 2025.
Barking Lane to Ilford Lane
In recognition of its huge growth, Ilford became a separate parish in 1888 and was given its own council in 1894. Previously it had been governed from Barking. As a sign of the growing importance of Ilford, Barking Lane’s name was changed to ‘Ilford Lane’ in 1899-1900.
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Medieval Manors: 1200s – 1500s
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Medieval Manors: 1200s – 1500s
During the medieval period (1200-1500), the land either side of Ilford Lane belonged to two manor houses which later became farms.
Up Hall (probably meaning ‘Upper Hall’) occupied the land to the west of Ilford Lane. The area was later called Uphall.
Loxford Hall occupied the land to the east of Ilford Lane.
Map showing Up Hall and Loxford Hall, 1777
Map of the County of Essex 1777 by John Chapman & Peter AndréUp Hall was farmed by nearby Barking Abbey, an important site of wealth and power. In 1539, Barking Abbey was closed by King Henry VIII. Uphall was sold and became a private farm. Uphall farmhouse survived until 1952 when it was demolished after being damaged in the Second World War.
Uphall farmhouse, 1935 Redbridge Heritage Centre p988
Loxford Hall, 1929. The foreground is now Loxford Park Redbridge Heritage Centre p1422
The area to the east of Ilford Lane was part of the medieval manor of Loxford.
Loxford means ‘On the land of Locca’. It is thought Locca was a local Anglo-Saxon ruler. A ‘ford’ is a crossing point, in this case over the Loxford stream which runs into the nearby River Roding.
The original Loxford Hall dated to around the 1400s. It was demolished in 1830 when a new Loxford Hall was built. Much of Loxford’s farmland was sold for housing in 1901.
Loxford Hall itself remained as a small farm until 1923 when it was sold to Ilford Council who turned the land into allotments (1926) and Loxford Park (1932). Until this time, Loxford Lane was a narrow country lane but was then made up as a modern road.
After the Second World War, temporary prefabricated housing, known as ‘prefabs’, were built behind Loxford Hall. These were later replaced by permanent flats and houses. Loxford Hall was used a health clinic until 2019, after which it was turned into private flats.
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Iron Age: 2200 Years Ago
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Iron Age: 2200 Years Ago
About 2200 years ago, close to what is now Uphall School, was an Iron Age village.
It was one of the largest Iron Age villages in London. The village, known as Uphall camp, was next to the River Roding which provided fish, building materials, and a means of transport. The camp’s inhabitants lived in a series of round wooden houses with thatched roofs. Surrounding the camp was a raised earthen wall for defence.
To find out more about Uphall Iron Age camp, visit Redbridge Museum.
Uphall School is the building at the top. The shaded area shows what was the site of Howards chemical factory.
Uphall CampLondon Museum
Site of Uphall camp and its boundary wall Redbridge Museum
Romans
After the Iron Age, the Romans used Uphall but appear not to have lived there.
Flagons were usually used for storing wine or oil. However, this flagon may have been used for a cremation (the burnt bones of a body) and was deliberately buried intact.
To find out more about the Romans in Redbridge, visit Redbridge Museum.
Flagon found in Uphall Redbridge Museum
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The Ice Age and The Ilford Mammoth: 200,000 Years Ago
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The area around Ilford Lane is one of the most important Ice Age sites in Britain.
Hundreds of Ice Age animal bones have been found here and around Ilford town centre. Ilford was once home to mammoths, elephants, rhinoceroses, bears, and even lions.
The animals lived here until 200,000 years ago during the Ice Age, which lasted from 5 million years ago to about 12,000 years ago.
The Ilford Mammoth
Ilford Lane is the site of one of the best examples of a mammoth skull ever found in Britain.
The mammoth was discovered in 1864 by workmen digging for clay to make bricks. This was in the Uphall brick pit, close to what is now the site of Uphall Primary School.
The area around Ilford Lane is one of the most important Ice Age sites in Britain. Hundreds of Ice Age animal bones have been found here and around Ilford town centre.
The animals lived here around 200,000 years ago during the Ice Age. This lasted from 5 million years ago to about 12,000 years ago. The Ilford mammoth skull is now in the Natural History Museum.
Redbridge Museum has a life-size reproduction cast of the mammoth skull.
To find out more about Ice Age Ilford and meet the mammoth, visit Redbridge Museum, Central Library, Ilford www.visionrcl.org.uk/museum
The Ilford mammothNatural History Museum
Why Ilford Lane?
Just off Ilford Lane was the Uphall brick pit, named after Uphall Farm. During the early 1840s, workmen were digging clay to make bricks for railway bridges and houses. They uncovered hundreds of Ice Age animal bones which had been preserved in the clay. These bones were bought by collectors who sold them to museums. By about the 1890s the Uphall brick pit was closed and no more bones were being dug up.
Map of Uphall brick pit, about 1881