Redbridge

Redbridge: town hall

Redbridge, outer borough of London, England, on the northeastern perimeter of the metropolis. It is part of the historic county of Essex. The borough’s name derives from the Red Bridge, which crossed the River Roding until the 1920s; the river itself was used for barge traffic until the mid-20th century. Redbridge was established in 1965 by the amalgamation of the boroughs and districts of Ilford and Wanstead, Woodford, and parts of Dagenham and Chigwell. It includes such areas as (roughly from north to south) Woodford Wells, Hainault Estate, Woodford, Woodford Bridge, Barkingside, part of Snaresbrook, Wanstead, Newbury Park, Chadwell Heath, Seven Kings, part of Leytonstone, Aldersbrook, Cranbrook Park, Goodmayes, and Ilford.

The remains of Roman structures have been uncovered at Valentines Park, Barkingside, and Wanstead. The villages of Wanstead (Wenesteda), Woodford (Wdefort), and Ilford (Ilefort) are mentioned in Domesday Book (1086). From the 16th century, there were country manors in the Woodford area, but, with the arrival of suburban railways in the mid-19th century, country estates and farmland were replaced by housing developments.

Redbridge is predominantly residential in character. There are extensive university residence halls in Woodford, and Ilford is a major shopping district. The borough is served by the London Underground (subway) and rail lines. Notable residents have included the poet Thomas Hood, the telegraph engineer Sir Charles Bright, and the Irish-born playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The Wanstead and Woodford parliamentary constituency was represented from 1924 to 1964 by Sir Winston Churchill, who is commemorated by a statue (1959) on Woodford Green.

Public open spaces include Wanstead, Seven Kings, Clayhall, and Goodmayes parks, as well as Valentines Park (site of a 17th-century manor house) and Roding Valley Park, with its two boating lakes. Hainault Forest, in the northeastern corner of the borough, was deforested by the mid-19th century but now has golf and sporting grounds. Ethnic minorities (mainly South Asians) account for more than one-third of the population. Area 22 square miles (56 square km). Pop. (2001) 238,628; (2011) 278,970.