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 The river crossing from which both Old Stratford and Stony Stratford derive their names must have been replaced by a bridge, first mentioned in the 13th century, at an early date, although in the 1830s Baker claimed that the site of a ford could be identified immediately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, which 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, that not found before the 15th century, of what was previously known '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 it is actually younger developed. In an early 17th-century map names the village old Stratford 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.
This picture in 1839 shows the 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, that not found before the 15th century, of what was previously known '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 it is actually younger developed. In an early 17th-century map names the village old Stratford 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment