Past History of Stratford
Within
this information holds the past and future of an area that has never
stopped changing from the start of its birth to a never-ending story.
Stratford has an incredibly interesting history therefore
it can be briefly described as a village in the back waters of East
London, separated by the river Lea from Middlesex a navigable waterway.
The bow bridge was built here in 1110, but not until the 1830s was reasonable stone bridge built. The
river crossing from which both Old Stratford and Stony Stratford derive
their names must have been replaced by a bridge, first mentioned in the
13th century, at an early date, although in the 1830s Baker claimed
that the site of a ford could be identified immediately upstream from
the bridge. In the early 17th century the bridge crossed the Ouse itself
by a single span, flanked on the Buckinghamshire bank by a causeway
pierced by three groups of three arches, apparently built to carry water
off the meadowland alongside the river. The bridge is said to have been
partly destroyed in the Civil War and then to have become dilapidated.
In 1801 an Act for paving, lighting and improving Stony Stratford also
provided for the repair of the bridge, whose maintenance had, since the
early 16th century, been the responsibility of a local charity. This
measure was evidently insufficient, and in 1834 the two counties which
shared responsibility for the bridge obtained another Act, under which a
new bridge was built the following year. The Act provided for the cost
of the bridge to be divided between Northamptonshire and
Buckinghamshire; for tolls to be collected for 21 years; and for the
charity which had previously maintained the old bridge to be discharged
from this responsibility, Tolls were apparently taken at the bridge in
the middle Ages.
The village of Old Stratford grew up on either side of Watling Street close to the point at which it crossed the river Ouse into Buckinghamshire, where the larger settlement of Stony Stratford similarly developed alongside the Roman road. The second half of both names obviously refers to the river crossing, but the first half of 'Old Stratford' is a corruption, not found before the 15th century, of what was previously 'For Stratford' or West Stratford, referring to its position in relation to its larger neighbour; the notion that the village is in some sense older than Stony Stratford is mistaken. An early 17th-century map names the village as 'Old Stow' (and an adjoining common field in Passenham as Little Stow Field); this form has not been found elsewhere.
Old Stratford has probably never been more than a suburb of its larger neighbour, although it has a focus of its own in the crossroads in the middle of the village. Until the building of the M1 motorway, this was the point at which the main route from London to Northampton branched off from Watling Street, and from which a route ran up the Ouse valley to Buckingham. The Northamptonshire section of Watling Street, from Old Stratford to Dunchurch, was turnpiked as early as 1707; a trust for the road from Old Stratford to Northampton was established in 1768; and the road from Buckingham to Old Stratford forming part of a route which continued to Newport Pagnell was turnpiked in 1815. The Maynard estate sold land to the trustees of the Old Stratford to Dunchurch turnpike in 1780 to enable the road to be widened. Even after the southern section of the M1, opened in 1959, largely superseded Watling Street as the main road from London to the Midlands, the crossroads at Old Stratford remained a busy junction until the village was bypassed in both directions in the 1980s.
In 1919 a public hall was built on Deanshanger road, near the crossroads as a memorial to those who had died in the first world war.
A number of old stratford residents pre-sumably always found employment in stony stratford, and this propartion no doubt raise with the expansion of the railway works at Wolverton in the later 19th century with the development of Milton Keyness new town.
1839 view north from Stratford High Street showing Stratford railway viaduct and a windmill.
In 1875, the rector of Furtho described old Stratford as 'Sadly neglected place' Without a church or school, and this remained true of the rest of the 19th century.
This is a picture of old Stratford High street in 1890 back in the days:
Modern history of stratford
Massive changes happened when the railway was built, Stratford became a hub of the many railways in the east of london, which it contiunues to this day with transport links to outter areas of london aswell of tubes and light rail.
Stratford become major center for the Olympics in 2012, with the fantastic rail links that have built over a century, and the Olympic village will be built upon an area that resembles the old marsh lands of a century earlier, but soon to be a major International sporting center.
In 13th 2006 'WESTFIELD GROUP' the new stratford shopping center became the world's largest shopping center giving local people and tourist the vibe of the new stratford city modernization.
The village of Old Stratford grew up on either side of Watling Street close to the point at which it crossed the river Ouse into Buckinghamshire, where the larger settlement of Stony Stratford similarly developed alongside the Roman road. The second half of both names obviously refers to the river crossing, but the first half of 'Old Stratford' is a corruption, not found before the 15th century, of what was previously 'For Stratford' or West Stratford, referring to its position in relation to its larger neighbour; the notion that the village is in some sense older than Stony Stratford is mistaken. An early 17th-century map names the village as 'Old Stow' (and an adjoining common field in Passenham as Little Stow Field); this form has not been found elsewhere.
Old Stratford has probably never been more than a suburb of its larger neighbour, although it has a focus of its own in the crossroads in the middle of the village. Until the building of the M1 motorway, this was the point at which the main route from London to Northampton branched off from Watling Street, and from which a route ran up the Ouse valley to Buckingham. The Northamptonshire section of Watling Street, from Old Stratford to Dunchurch, was turnpiked as early as 1707; a trust for the road from Old Stratford to Northampton was established in 1768; and the road from Buckingham to Old Stratford forming part of a route which continued to Newport Pagnell was turnpiked in 1815. The Maynard estate sold land to the trustees of the Old Stratford to Dunchurch turnpike in 1780 to enable the road to be widened. Even after the southern section of the M1, opened in 1959, largely superseded Watling Street as the main road from London to the Midlands, the crossroads at Old Stratford remained a busy junction until the village was bypassed in both directions in the 1980s.
In 1919 a public hall was built on Deanshanger road, near the crossroads as a memorial to those who had died in the first world war.
A number of old stratford residents pre-sumably always found employment in stony stratford, and this propartion no doubt raise with the expansion of the railway works at Wolverton in the later 19th century with the development of Milton Keyness new town.
In 1875, the rector of Furtho described old Stratford as 'Sadly neglected place' Without a church or school, and this remained true of the rest of the 19th century.
This is a picture of old Stratford High street in 1890 back in the days:
Modern history of stratford
Massive changes happened when the railway was built, Stratford became a hub of the many railways in the east of london, which it contiunues to this day with transport links to outter areas of london aswell of tubes and light rail.
Stratford become major center for the Olympics in 2012, with the fantastic rail links that have built over a century, and the Olympic village will be built upon an area that resembles the old marsh lands of a century earlier, but soon to be a major International sporting center.
In 13th 2006 'WESTFIELD GROUP' the new stratford shopping center became the world's largest shopping center giving local people and tourist the vibe of the new stratford city modernization.
CRITICAL SHORT ANALIYSIS, SOCIAL CHANGE IN STRATFORD
Social life of youth these days mainly revolve around the internet, social media mainly e.g facebook and twitter. Social media is not entirely something bad but in recent times it has been used for bullying and threats. Which is why having the Olympic was a good distraction, it gives them something to keep busy as a lot of youth in stratford participated to make the games go smoothly, the pay might not have been a lot but the experience is priceless. Which will help propelled them to the next face of their individual life and encourages them becoming a better citizen.
In terms of transportation it might have been difficult for locals especially those that have to be at work to move around because a lot of people will be travelling to the games, this also depends on what time the game is holding and what part of the stratford city as a whole has to offer the world In terms of hospitality. Although is good for business of the transportation company.
Sporting venues have been renovated or built from scratch, providing world-class facilities for the Games and for the long-term benefit of local communities and the elite athletes. They also become tourist attraction which could also generate revenue for the community. But before the games many locals fear they will loose their homes and properties which brought many of them to a complete state of mind,( the fear of change) they welcome the Olympics but they suddenly realised some of them will be losing their homes or being relocated from stratford. Perhaps we can argue that some welcomed it while some don’t but in general we can say all the new changes in stratford today, the income from the new multi million pound buildings sales of the Olympic village and the media sales they all goes to the government. Furthermore we can argue that the new upper class people who migrated into stratford gets the real benefits of the new infrastructure, the new stratford in general terms. While the real east end indigen get kicked further down the living standard in stratford.
The Olympics has done a great deal of good for everyone in stratford that took part in the games, it has brought about awareness to the eastend city which will help tourist have a better understanding of a particular part of London which is stratford as a city and, prior to the Olympics Stratford east end might have not been heard before but since then the Olympic. it has brought attention to the borough ,the eastend locals and now the new migrant people moving in to live in newham borough. Now they all have one thing in common, which is they know they now exist and can easily research them to find out tourist attractions in the stratford city. Also Tourism brings a lot of money to the local authority and the local shops in Stratford city, and also during the games a lot of the locals would have benefited from the job creations that come with the new Stratford. Especially the housing sectors e.g. the house owners, Also from Westfield shopping centre, Transportation sectors and private sector Company, B&B owners.
The Olympic also affected the life of youths in a good way, it encourages them to get involved with sports and athletics and also exercise which can also be used to tackle obesity in newham borough .Also is a life time achievement for the government and parent, knowing fully well that the youth most of them they might be competing in the next Olympic and representing the country proudly.
BY CHARLES OSBOURNE
