Visit Stratford, London Places

Welcome to Visit Stratford, London Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Stratford, London

  

Stratford, London Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Stratford, London

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Stratford, London history

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Stratford’s early significance was due to a Roman road running across the River Lea. The Lea Valley was a formidable obstacle to overland trade and travel.

Original ford and place name origin

The name is first recorded in 1067 as Strætforda and means ‘ford on a Roman road’ It is formed from Old English ‘stræt’ (in modern English ‘street’) and ‘ford’ The district of Old Ford in northern Bow – west of the Lea – is named after the former crossing.

Bow bridge

Matilda, wife of Henry I, ordered a distinctively bow-shaped (arched) bridge to be built over the River Lea. The western Stratford then become suffixed by “-atte-Bow” (at the Bow), eventually becoming known simply as Bow. The bridge was repaired and upgraded many times over the centuries until eventually demolished and replaced in the 19th century.

Stratford Langthorne Abbey

Cistercian Order founded Stratford Langthorne Abbey, also known as West Ham Abbey, in 1135. It was one of the largest and most wealthy monasteries in England, owning 1,500 acres (610 hectares) in the immediate area and 20 manors throughout Essex. Nothing visible remains on the site, as after it dissolution by Henry VIII in 1538, local landowners took away much of the stone for their own buildings and the land was subsequently urbanised.

Industrialisation

Stratford and national experience of the Industrial Revolution inspired scenes in the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony. Stratford was originally an agricultural community, whose proximity to London provided a ready market for its produce. The Victorian era saw growth hugely accelerated by three major factors; the Metropolitan Building Act, the arrival of the railway and the creation of the Royal Docks.

20th century

Stratford, like many areas of London, suffered significant de-industrialisation in the 20th century. This was compounded by the closing of the London Docks in the 1960s. Around this time, the Stratford Shopping Centre was built, beginning efforts to guide the area through the transformation.

Stratford, London economy & business

Regeneration

Westfield Stratford City is a multibillion-pound scheme to regenerate the 73-hectare brownfield railway lands to the north of the existing town centre. The vast shopping centre reported to be bigger in size than Bluewater was opened in September 2011. Nearby will be a new purpose-built community of 5,000 homes, offices, schools, public spaces, municipal and other facilities.

Stratford, London landmarks

Stratford Town Hall opened in 1869 as the public offices for the West Ham Local board of health. It later became the town hall for the county borough and was enlarged in 1881 to accommodate a courthouse and cells. Opposite St John’s Church stands an early 19th-century pub, the King Edward VII. A 114-metre tall sculpture and observation tower in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is Britain’s largest piece of public art.

Stratford, London geography / climate

Stratford began as a hamlet in the northwest part of the ancient parish of West Ham. As the area urbanised it expanded, increased in population and merged with neighbouring districts. Except as a ward, Stratford has never been a unit of administration and so lacks formally defined boundaries.

You can visit Stratford, London places with Walkfo Stratford, London to hear history at Stratford, London’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Stratford, London has 381 places to visit in our interactive Stratford, London 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 Stratford, London, 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 Stratford, London places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Stratford, London & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 381 audio facts unique to Stratford, London places in an interactive Stratford, London map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Stratford, London Places Map
381 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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

  

Best Stratford, London places to visit

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

Tower division The Tower Division was a liberty in the ancient county of Middlesex, England. It took its name from the military obligations owed to the Constable of the Tower of London. In contemporary terms, the Liberty covered inner East London, the area now administered by the eponymous modern London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Hackney Wick Hackney Wick lies 4.2 miles (6.8 km) northeast of Charing Cross. Adjacent areas of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets are sometimes also described as being part of Hackney.

Bushwood, Leytonstone Bushwood is an area in the north of Leytonstone in East London. The area is popular for its proximity to Wanstead Flats and Wanstead Park. It has many tree-lined streets with Victorian and Edwardian houses.

East Village, London East Village is a housing development in Stratford, East London that was designed and constructed as the Olympic Village of the 2012 Summer Olympics. The area was formerly contaminated waste land and industrial buildings to the north of Stratford town centre.

Upton Park, London Upton Park is an area of the East London borough of Newham, centred on Green Street which is the boundary between West Ham and East Ham. West Ham United Football Club formerly played at the Boleyn Ground, commonly known as Upton Park.

St Francis of Assisi Church, Stratford St Francis of Assisi Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Stratford, London. It was founded from a mission that started in 1770. The Franciscan Order of Friars Minor arrived in 1873 and built a friary next door to the church in 1876.

Visit Stratford, London plaques