Gidea Park

infobox UK place
country = England
map_type = Greater London
region= London
static_

population=
official_name= Gidea Park
latitude= 51.5926
longitude= 0.2025
os_grid_reference= TQ525905
post_town= ROMFORD
london_borough= Havering
postcode_area= RM
postcode_district= RM2
dial_code= 01708
constituency_westminster= Romford

Gidea Park is a place in the London Borough of Havering, East London, England. Gidea Park is a part of Romford post town.

Gidea Park is the location of the "Romford Garden Suburb" constructed in 1910 to 1911 on the Gidea Hall and Balgores Estates as an exhibition of town planning. Small cottages and houses were designed by more than 100 architects, many of them of considerable reputation. A competition was held to select the best town planning scheme for the suburb and the best designs for houses costing £500 and cottages costing £375. The project, including a new railway station, was promoted by a company founded by three Liberal MP's who had links with the Hampstead Garden Suburb development, Herbert Raphael, John Tudor Walters (later both knighted) and Charles McCurdy.

Known as the "exhibition houses" and set in their garden suburb are fine examples of their time. Six of them are now Grade II listed buildings and all are now very sought after.

Further houses mostly of contemporary flat-roofed designs were built in 1934/35 for a "Modern Homes" Exhibition in Heath Drive, Brook Road, Eastern Avenue, one by Lubetkin is now Grade II listed.

The Royal Liberty School in Upper Brentwood Road was the first school in Britain (and possibly in Europe) to install an electronic computer (an Elliot 903, in 1965).

Romford Hockey Club is located in Gidea Park. Essex County Cricket Club played first-class cricket at the Gidea Park Sports Ground between 1950 and 1968.

Education

Transport and locale

Nearest places

* Romford
* Gallows Corner
* Ardleigh Green

Nearest stations

* Gidea Park railway station
* Romford station

References

Massy, Anthea (2003). [http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/home/article-3778999-details/London's+secret+suburbs/article.do London's secret suburbs] "Evening Standard" 12 March 2003.

External links

*gbmaprim|TQ525901|Maps and aerial photos
* [http://www.havering.gov.uk/pls/portal30/PORTAL30.wwv_media.show?p_id=138225&p_currcornerid=135718&p_settingssetid=8223&p_settingssiteid=0&p_siteid=119&p_type=text&p_textid=138226 Romford Garden Suburb]