Forest Gate

Until the middle of the last century Forest Gate was little more than the cattle-retraining barrier between Wanstead Flats and the Woodford Road after which it is named. However, the opening of the Eastern Countries Railway station at Forest Gate in 1841 encouraged settlement in spite of some resistance from the existing residents. An area which had been primarily the home of a small group of wealthy families, including the Gurneys and Listers, now grew rapidly. Developments such as the Woodgrange Estate provided accommodation for the increasing numbers of people moving out of the Metropolis and by the turn of the century 350,000 people each month were using the railway station. Despite this growth Forest Gate has managed to retain much if its Victorian suburban character.

This fascinating collection of nearly 200 old photographs from the London Borough of Newham's Local Studies Library vividly illustrates a century of development and change in this still distinct area of East London.