Romford-Essex – Facts About the Town

The town of Romford – Essex is located in northeast London, England. The town is also the headquarters of the London Borough of Havering. If you are in Charing Crossing, you can reach the town by travelling 23 kilometres in the northeastern direction. The town can be found on the London metropolitan plan that lists all the major centres in the area.

Romford started as a small market town.During the time, it was a part of the Essex county and the headquarters of the Liberty of Havering, until 1892.The construction of a railway line and road networks opened the way for further development. The population grew and other industries came into being. The economy of Romford thrived on agriculture, but as time went on, emphasis was on light product manufacturing. The light industry became the backbone of the economy but other forms of industry such as retail have become dominant. By the turn of the 20th century, urban settlements began to form around the area. The town was rapidly expanding and it was not long before the town was granted municipal borough status in 1937.By the beginning of 1965, the borough merged with Greater London.

Modern Romford is a large town with many facilities for shopping and entertainment. Visitors will find large shopping complexes, restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, bars and sports clubs. The town never sleeps because the nightlife is vibrant.

The original town can be traced back to the Medieval Ages. Early Romford grew along the main London road. The town was given market status in 1247.During the time, the population relied on agriculture. Historical records show that corn grinding was done by several mills that were scattered around the town. Besides agriculture, leather processing was one of the main activities.

Records show that many types of industries such as brewing, metalworking, charcoal burning, weaving and cloth making existed in the region. The introduction of transport systems was the main factor in the growth of the town. A road linking London and Romford was constructed in 1721.The project was carried out by the Turnpike Trust.

By the turn of the 18th century, coach services plied the London-Romford road. The Romford Canal was seen as an ideal link between the Thames and the town, but attempts at making the links failed and the idea was finally abandoned. Had the project been successful, it could have provided a channel for transporting goods between London and Romford.