Abbey Lane Children's Centre, Abbey Lane, Stratford, E13, London - Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment

Wessex Archaeology

There is archaeological evidence from the Neolithic and Bronze Age in the Study Area which infers local prehistoric presence. An Iron Age settlement is recorded from excavations at Stratford Market Depot to the north east of the Site typified by a complex of pits, postholes and ditches. Roman activity in the area is restricted to the London to Colchester Roman road which runs north west of the Study Area through the Lea Valley. Settlement evidence for the area is so far limited to areas adjacent to the road within Tower Hamlets.

The Site was within the manor of Ham and is mentioned in the Domesday Survey of 1086, with Ham meaning ‘low lying pasture’. During the medieval period the area developed due to new access across the Stratford back rivers (Rivers Lea and Channelsea) between Bow and Stratford, with the construction of a series of bridges. This was initiated by Matilda, wife of Henry I, due to the unsafe ford crossing on the northern route of the original Roman road. The Cistercian Abbey of St Mary Stratford Langthorne was established during the early 12th century, the abbey owned much of the land in the manor up until the dissolution of the monasteries in the early 16th century.

With a more accessible road route from London towards the east, the use of the River Lea towards the north and the land and water management, industries were encouraged to develop in the area during the medieval and post-medieval periods. Earlier industries such as calico cloth production and other textile trades were maintained with the use of the mills and later industries such as the Bow China Works were established in the early 18th century, on the north side of Stratford High Street.

The Northern Outfall Sewer was constructed by Bazalgette in 1861, just to the north of the Site, and residential housing was established before 1867. This housing was demolished during the late 1960s and the land was not developed until the construction of the present children’s centre in 1994.