South Woodford
South Woodford photos (13 available)
South Woodford maps (2 available)
Map of London
Beautifully hand-drawn and coloured, dating from around 1840
Personalised maps
Create an historic map centred directly on any postcode!
South Woodford books (16 available)
- 4 photos on South Woodford appear in 3 Frith books - View photos of South Woodford
- Read extracts and see photos from these books on South Woodford and London
South Woodford memories
Read and share memories of South Woodford and London inspired by Frith photos
Wonderful childhood
I used to live in Churchfield, my old house is the only one left standing amongst a maze of flats. It was a council house in those days and we shared it with another family, the Caines. I went to Churchfields Primary and Junior Schools, as did my two sisters. I have wonderful memories of my time at Churchfields and me and two friends went back there recently to have a look and to our amazement there was a caretaker there who let us go in and wonder around. he even produced a large box of old photos to show us. Sadly the old school is being demolished this year as it is so old the ...read more here
Contributed by Margaret Way
Growing up in South Woodford
I lived In Priory Close which faces the shops on South Woodford high road, I left when I married aged 19. My memories are of a wonderful childhood. I used to play out with all the other children who lived in the flats at the time. There was always someone to play with. No one seemed to have much money but, everyone new each other and had time for each other. In 1965 I attended Churchfields Junior School I felt very important there as I was a dinner monitor and I remember playing on the school field in the hot weather and the wonderful school sports days which were held there. I would go down to the park ...read more here
Contributed by First name Last name
GATES CORNER MEMORIES.
This is such a memorable photograph for me. This very garage delivered a new company car to my father in 1932. It was a Model B Ford with V8 engine. He drove that car for 17 years during the time he worked for W&C French in Buckhurst Hill.
I was a young child of seven when the Second World War broke out. Living on Epping New Road beside French's Yard. Dad was working away from home a lot bulding new airfields. Mum and I would often go to the Majestic picture house on a saturday ( in the distance of this photo). On this day the sirens had gone , the cinema screen had told us, but we chose to ...read more here
Contributed by Denman Lalonde
London memories
Wonderful childhood
I used to live in Churchfield, my old house is the only one left standing amongst a maze of flats. It was a council house in those days and we shared it with another family, the Caines. I went to Churchfields Primary and Junior Schools, as did my two sisters. I have wonderful memories of my time at Churchfields and me and two friends went back there recently to have a look and to our amazement there was a caretaker there who let us go in and wonder around. he even produced a large box of old photos to show us. Sadly the old school is being demolished this year as it is so old the ...read more here
A memory of South Woodford contributed by Margaret Way
Extracts From South Woodford & London books
Frank Gates (left) had moved to this location by 1926 (having been in Chelmsford Road in 1922), and by 1937 was the
main Ford dealer. There is a tendency to see the development of the London suburbs only in terms of public transport,
but the motorcar proved increasingly important from this period. In the distance is the then Majestic Cinema. It was
opened in 1934, and in the audience was a then less famous Winston Churchill. It was saved from redevelopment in the
late 1990s after local protest.
An extract from from"Chigwell Photographic Memories".
High Street North is a
relatively undistinguished
and typical London
suburban shopping street:
the exuberance of the Town
Hall complex is forgotten.
The Midland Bank on the
corner of Caulfield Road
(right) is one of their 1920s
Classical-style single-storey
buildings that add quality to
many High Streets. On the
left the taller Victorian brick
buildings were demolished
in the 1970s and replaced
by bland flat roofed ones.
An extract from from"London Living Memories".
We pass under the River Thames via the Blackwall Tunnel - the northbound side dates from the 1890s, an early
project of the LCC, which was established in 1888. East Ham was in Essex until 1965, but since the mid 19th
century very much a part of greater London. Here we approach East Ham’s town centre along the busy North
Circular Road, which seems in places merely a casual linkage of suburban roads. These terraces of neat
Edwardian bay-windowed houses survive, and lead towards the Town Hall with its tower.
An extract from from"London Living Memories".
Our tour now heads north-east to Greenwich to a much grander building. The Royal Naval Hospital, a
counterpart to the Chelsea Hospital for soldiers, began as a rebuild of Greenwich Palace by Charles II in the
1660s, but it changed direction in the 1690s. The second pediment from the right is Webb’s 1660s work. In
1873 it became the Royal Naval College; when that closed, in the 1990s it became part of Greenwich University.
In the distance are the chimneys of Greenwich Power Station of 1902-10.
An extract from from"London Living Memories".
St John’s Church, by Benjamin Ferrey, was completed in 1853 as the centrepiece of Angell Town. It has a fine
Perpendicular-style tower with chequer-work battlements and elegant corner pinnacles. The 1850s houses
between it and the photographer were demolished in the 1970s and replaced by a large council housing estate,
Peckford Place. The lime trees in front of the church survive, and have matured well.
An extract from from"London Living Memories".