Romford history in the 1950s - new neighbourhoods and buses

This week, we are travelling back in time to the 1950s and exploring what life was like when Romford was bouncing back from the Second World War.

At the beginning of the decade, Romford was still a traditional market town, with the market acting as the main commercial area for residents from the area and surrounding villages.

Market Place, Romford c. 1950-1955, with buses to Brentwood passing through (Image: Havering Libraries-Local Studies)

Photos taken at the time capture busy market days, featuring a huge number of tented stalls surrounded by long-lost pubs such as The White Swan, Duke of Wellington and The Pig in Pound.

Other businesses present at the time included Laurie Cafe, Fine Fare supermarket and Drapers, while Romford Branch Library was also located in Market Place.

These historic photos also reveal that Market Place, South Street and other shopping areas in the town centre were not yet pedestrianised, with buses serving new suburbs often having to battle through crowds on market days.

The 174 bus in South Street, Romford c.1951-1952 (Image: Havering Libraries-Local Studies)

A new route at the start of the decade was the 174, which began operating in May 1950, between Dagenham Kent Avenue and Romford Parkside Hotel via Heathway, Oxlow Lane and Rush Green.

In October the same year, the route was extended from Romford to Harold Hill, replacing withdrawn route 86B, before being extended again in 1952.

Earlier railway developments had already made Romford a commuter town by this period, such as the addition of extra tracks and platforms to the station in the early 20th century and 1930s to handle increasing traffic.

Romford Branch Library, in Market Place, in the 1950s (Image: Havering Libraries-Local Studies)

More widely, Romford was also impacted by the post-war housing boom, with construction on estates such as Harold Hill getting underway in the 50s.

There were no shops in Harold Hill when the first residents of the estate moved in, but by July 1950 the first permanent parade of shops was opened in Cambourne Avenue, followed by the completion of the Farnham Road parade by 1955.

Following the war, Romford's livestock market declined significantly - to the point where the council was forced to abandon the cattle market in 1958.

The end of the livestock market in May 1958 (Image: Havering Libraries-Local Studies)

During the last livestock sale on May 21, seven cattle, ten calves, 28 sheep and 53 pigs were sold.