Visit Upminster Places

Welcome to Visit Upminster Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Upminster

  

Upminster Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Upminster

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Upminster history

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Toponymy

The placename Upminster is first recorded in 1062 as Upmynstre and is recorded in the 1086 Domesday Book as Upmunstra. It is formed from Old English upp and mynster, meaning ‘the large church on high ground’

Economic development

There was a Roman farmstead in the Upminster area from the 1st century to the 3rd century. Agriculture was the predominant industry throughout the following centuries. Local industry included a tannery, gravel extraction and a brick works that was connected to the railway station by a tramway in 1895.

Urban development

The parish had three early centres of activity; the village around the church and the settlements of Hacton and Corbets Tey. The estates of Gaynes, New Place and Upminster Hall were purchased during the 17th century by merchants in the City of London. Gas main supply came from Romford in 1872 and from 1905 there was gas street lighting.

Upminster culture & places

Havering Council’s urban strategy recognises that Hornchurch is the main cultural hub of the borough. Upminster Windmill is one of the few remaining mills in Greater London and Grade II* listed. The Tithe Barn Museum contains artifacts of domestic and agricultural use.

Speed of sound

The speed of sound was first accurately calculated by the Reverend William Derham, Rector of Upminster. Derham used a telescope from the tower of the church of St Laurence, Upminster to observe the flash of a distant shotgun being fired. He then measured the time until he heard the gunshot with a half-second pendulum.

Upminster geography / climate

Upminster rises to about 200 feet (61 m) above sea level to the north. It rests on a layer of loam, above sand and gravel in the south and London Clay to north. The north is predominantly residential, with the southern part containing the main shopping area.

You can visit Upminster places with Walkfo Upminster to hear history at Upminster’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Upminster has 46 places to visit in our interactive Upminster map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Upminster, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Upminster places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Upminster & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 46 audio facts unique to Upminster places in an interactive Upminster map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Upminster Places Map
46 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Upminster historic spots	Upminster tourist destinations	Upminster plaques	Upminster geographic features
Walkfo Upminster tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Upminster

  

Best Upminster places to visit

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Upminster has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Upminster’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Upminster’s information audio spots:

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Visit Upminster plaques