STRATFORD Central Line, Jubilee Line
Watch this space!

As befits a place that had its modern origins in the railways, Stratford is gearing up for the Games with a splendid new station – lots of glass and easy to find your way round considering it serves DLR, London Underground and National Rail. The Eastern Railway works at Temple Mills to the north closed in 1963 but their modern replacement will act as the new depot for Eurostar maintenance. The area will become a very different environment over the next few years, with a scheme called Stratford City involving the construction of 5,000 homes, offices, etc., plus part of the Olympic Village on the brownfield site of 73 hectares. The mind boggles.

The existing town is a mixture. There are a few fascinating old buildings that are worth a visit, but I’m not totally convinced by the Shopping Centre development, though inside it is more interesting than most, being lined with market stalls – a reminder that it was built on the site of Angel Lane Market. There is also a pawnbrokers (not a usual sight in shopping malls) - a reminder of Stratford’s lowly past. You will need to walk through the Shopping Centre to get to the High Street.

On leaving the station, go left past the ’Time Spiral’ clock and cross towards the Centre. Walk through and take the exit marked ‘East Mall’. When you emerge, St John’s church, with its memorial to Protestant martyrs burnt at the stake on Stratford Green in 1556, will be to your left. On the other side of the road is the imposing Old Town Hall with five statues perched on the parapets, the only survivors of ten allegorical figures. A large granite obelisk near the churchyard commemorates Samuel Gurney (1786-1856), a resident of West Ham whose sister was Elizabeth Fry, the prison reformer. He himself played a significant part in securing the emancipation of black slaves. If you have ever noticed the numerous cattle troughs dotted around London, nowadays often planted up with flowers, you might be interested to know that he was the moving force behind the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association that funded them.

Cross the Broadway and have a look at the old King Edward VII pub. It was originally called the King of Prussia, but, not surprisingly, was re-named in WW1. It has an intriguing early 19th century door on the right -hand side with a surround that is reminiscent of a theatre box. Continue walking towards Romford Road. The Old Dispensary (No. 30 )comes as a surprise. This three- hundred -year -old weatherboarded building was a used as a dispensary in Victorian times, chiefly supplying medicines to the poor. It has a little garden at the back. Walk a bit further on. The road now becomes more residential, with terraced houses on either side.


At the corner of Water Lane is the University of East London Stratford Campus. This cheerful set of buildings was originally the Central Library and Technical Institute. Lots of reliefs and figures – there is something endearing about the cherubs busy studying in the frieze that adorns the frontage in Romford Road. Round the corner in Water Lane they are playing music .Below them is a relief, in a completely different decorative style, depicting an eagle, shielding Art and Industry. Shakespeare gets a look-in with a statue in Coade stone standing in front of the Library entrance in the limited space between buildings and road.



Now go down the narrow Water Lane. At the corner of Manbey Street is a plaque showing that the building was once a ’Deaf School’. Paradoxically, part of the site is now a language school. There is an appealing small pub, the Manbey Arms. Next find the butcher’s shop on the corner of Manbey Grove. Do track down this pathetic relic. It doesn’t look as if will be around much longer, as the unusually ornate shop front is crumbling and damaged but the stucco cow-head keystones remain comparatively unscathed.

Now go down Manbey Grove, a pleasant street of small terraced houses, and turn right into The Grove. The old Grove Picture Palace, situated a few metres down the road past the Baptist church, was a very early cinema, dating back to 1910. It had an unusual kiosk ticket office bay window , still visible on the road frontage. It became a billiard hall and is now used as a doctors’ surgery.


Return, go past Manbey Grove, and cross Great Eastern Road. Bear right. You are now in the narrow western section of the Broadway again (church on left ). Soon you will see a alleyway. If you go down this you will find the brightly painted but fairly plain Theatre Royal. Originally opened 1884, in 1953 Joan Littlewood and her Theatre Workshop Company literally restored the derelict old theatre with their own hands. They gradually built up a tremendous reputation, with contemporary plays frequently transferring to the West End. In the 1960’s the theatre had to be saved again – this time from the threat of demolition. The full history of the theatre makes interesting – and rather sad – reading. In the same area is the exciting white angular Stratford Picture House (Burrell, Foley, Fischer 1997).

Return to the Tube by retracing your steps via the Shopping Centre entrance at the back of the Theatre. For a detailed explanation of the various statues, etc. dotted around, go to the Exploring East London website.

It will be fascinating to follow the changes in this area.

MAP

Stratford is just one walk from the many to be found at London Tube Rambles. There are architectural gems, beautiful country views, historic places and whacky buildings to be found, even in the most unpromising areas covered by the Greater London Underground stations. Usually the places listed are within a mile of the Tube - often only five minutes walk away. If you reached this as an individual page via a search engine, you might like to go to www.londontuberambles.co.uk to see the other destinations explored . You'll be amazed at what's out there!

© DR2007