Cranham
Encyclopedia
Cranham is a residential suburb in northeast London
, England and part of the London Borough of Havering
. It is located 17.5 miles (28 km) east-northeast of Charing Cross
and comprises an extensive built-up area to the north and a low density conservation area
surrounded by open land to the south. It was historically a rural village in the county of Essex
and formed an ancient parish. It is peripheral to London, forming the eastern edge of the urban sprawl
. The economic history of Cranham is characterised by a shift from agriculture to housing development. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Cranham significantly increased in population, becoming part of Hornchurch Urban District
in 1934 and has formed part of Greater London
since 1965.
The placename Cranham is first recorded in the Domesday Book
of 1086 as Craohv. By 1201 it had evolved into Craweno. It may mean 'spur of land frequented by crows' and is formed from the Old English 'crāwe' and 'hōh'. However, Crawe is also an anglo-saxon female personal name (Suffolk: Anglo-saxon wills xiv, xv, unpublished), so Crawe's ridge or farm is another possible interpretation.
The parish contained two Anglo-Saxon
manors of Ockendon (Wochenduna), while Cranham (Crawenho) was the smaller of the two. By 1323, the two manors were referred together as 'Wokydon Craunhoo'. During the Middle Ages, and until around the 15th century, the whole parish became known as Bishop's Ockendon because the larger of the two manors had been owned by the Bishop of London
, and to avoid confusion with North Ockendon
and South Ockendon
nearby; this still appeared on some victorian legal documents.
and Hornchurch
and with London via the River Thames
at Rainham
.
hundred of Essex
. The vestry met in the church until 1829 and then at the parish workhouse. In 1836 the parish was grouped for poor relief into the Romford Poor Law Union
and for sanitary provision in 1875 into Romford rural sanitary district
. The sanitary district became Romford Rural District
from 1894 and a parish council was formed to replace the vestry.
The parish formed part of the London Traffic Area
from 1924 and the London Passenger Transport Area
from 1933. To reflect the significantly increased population in the area, Romford Rural District was abolished in 1934 and Cranham was amalgamated with neighbouring parishes into Hornchurch Urban District
. The parish council was abolished and Hornchurch Urban District Council became the local authority. There was a revision of boundaries with North Ockendon
, which had been part of Orsett Rural District
, absorbed into Cranham and a small area to the north, near Great Warley
, transferred to Brentwood Urban District
.
In 1965 Hornchurch Urban District was abolished and its former area was transferred from Essex to Greater London
, to be combined with that of the Municipal Borough of Romford
in order to form the present-day London Borough of Havering
. In 1993 the Greater London boundary, to the east of Cranham and north of the railway line, was locally realigned to the M25 motorway
, returning some mostly unpopulated areas of open land to Essex and leaving North Ockendon
as the only part of Greater London outside the bounds of the motorway.
. Initial attempts to expand the suburban estates from Upminster in the early 20th century ran into problems because of the lack of water supply. In 1922 sewage works for Upminster and Cranham were opened in Great Warley. In the 1930s land was used to develop some council housing and following the sale of the Benyon estate the pace of new building quickened. Cranham's location on the very edge of London's urban sprawl is explained by the halting effect on suburban house building of the introduction of the Metropolitan Green Belt
and World War II
. Thereafter building took place within the area bounded by the Southend Arterial Road in the north and St Mary's Lane in the south; and there were 615 council houses built by 1971.
, and is partly within the Havering wards of Upminster and Cranham. Together these form the Upminster Area Committee. The current MP is Angela Watkinson
. Each ward elects three councillors to Havering London Borough Council
. All six councillors elected in 2010 for the two wards were the Upminster and Cranham Residents' Association candidates and the area is unusual in that the residents' association is strongly active. From 1945 to 1974 Cranham formed part of the Hornchurch constituency
and from 1974 to 2010 it formed part of the Upminster constituency
. Cranham is within the Havering and Redbridge London Assembly constituency
and the London European Parliament constituency
.
belt, with loam to the north and a gravel valley to the south. It rises to about 250 feet (76.2 m) in the north and to below 50 feet (15.2 m) in the south; with a ridge running east to west upon which All Saints church is located. Cranham forms a continuously built-up area with Upminster to the west, with open fields separating it from Harold Wood
in the north, Great Warley
to the east and North Ockendon
to the southeast. Franks Wood and Cranham Brickfields are designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation with a habitat of ancient woodland
, coppices, ditches, scrub, tall herbs and neutral grassland. The community forest
centre for the extensive Thames Chase
is located in the open land to the south east. Cranham forms part of the Upminster post town
in the RM14 postcode district.
A housing estate
called Upminster Park Estate occupies west central Cranham, either side of Avon Road, and extending across the boundary into Upminster
.
Demographic data is produced by the Office for National Statistics
for the wards of Cranham and Upminster. All of Cranham is contained within these wards, however they also cover the connected settlement of Upminster
and the rural outlier of North Ockendon
. In 2001 the population of Upminster ward was 12,674 and Cranham ward was 12,242, giving a total population of 25,098. 80.95% in Upminster and 81.73% in Cranham report their religion as Christian, compared to 76.13% for Havering, 58.23% in London and 71.74% in England. 10.08% in Upminster and 10.46% in Cranham report having no religion, compared to 13.18% in Havering, 15.76% in London and 14.59% in England. With a black and minority ethnic
population of 3% in 2001, Cranham and Upminster wards have the lowest Simpson index
for ethnic diversity in London. The level of home ownership
is atypically high compared to the rest of London and England, with over 90% of housing tenure under owner-occupation in both wards.
is the local district centre at Upminster
. Within Havering, Upminster is identified as the nearest of seven main town centres. There are a number of commercial businesses centred around the A127 Southend Arterial Road including a wholesale butcher, mushroom cultivator, caravan sales, and a sports equipment
supplier. A significant boat dealership and chandlery exists in the unlikely location of St.Mary's Lane near the Jobber's Rest public house
There are a limited number of hospitality venues, including pubs and a popular tandoori restaurant.
in the north. Approximately 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to the northeast it has a junction with the M25 motorway
, which forms the outer ring road of London. Cranham is the location of the Upminster depot of the London Underground
's District line
. The nearest London Underground station is at Upminster
, approximately 0.75 miles (1.2 km) to the west. The London-Tilbury-Southend Line
of the National Rail
network passes through the area in two places, with the nearest station also at Upminster. There are Transport for London
bus service to Upminster, Hornchurch
, Romford
, and Ockendon station on routes 248
, 346 and 347.
parish church, re-built 1873, is a grade II listed building. James Oglethorpe
, the first governor of Georgia, (now part of the United States of America) is buried with his wife at the centre of its chancel. The area around the church forms a conservation area. There is a second church called St Luke's further north on Front Lane.
Cranham Hall, as it stands today is at least the third building of that name. Revd Sir Edward Petre
of Cranham Hall (the 3rd Baronet, and who was the confessor of James II), as well as James Oglethorpe
lived in its predecessor, of red brick, some of whose garden wall survives.
There are two community associations that are both registered charities. The Cranham Community Association operates a broad range of sporting, self improvement and hobby activities at Cranham Community Centre on Marlborough Gardens. Cranham Social Hall, with a capacity of 100, is separately operated by the Front Lane Community Association, and provides a limited range of activities. The main cultural and entertainment facilities of the borough are located in Hornchurch and Romford.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England and part of the London Borough of Havering
London Borough of Havering
The London Borough of Havering is a London borough in North East London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in Havering is Romford and the other main communities are Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham. The borough is mainly characterised by suburban development with large...
. It is located 17.5 miles (28 km) east-northeast of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
and comprises an extensive built-up area to the north and a low density conservation area
Conservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
surrounded by open land to the south. It was historically a rural village in the county of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
and formed an ancient parish. It is peripheral to London, forming the eastern edge of the urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
. The economic history of Cranham is characterised by a shift from agriculture to housing development. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Cranham significantly increased in population, becoming part of Hornchurch Urban District
Hornchurch Urban District
Hornchurch was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1926 to 1965. The urban district council was based at Langtons House. The district formed a suburb of London and was expanded in 1934...
in 1934 and has formed part of Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
since 1965.
Toponomy
| 1881 | 416 |
|---|---|
| 1891 | 465 |
| 1901 | 397 |
| 1911 | 489 |
| 1921 | 519 |
| 1931 | 1,240 |
| 1941 | war # |
| 1951 | 2,836 |
| # no census was held due to war | |
| source: UK census | |
The placename Cranham is first recorded in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
of 1086 as Craohv. By 1201 it had evolved into Craweno. It may mean 'spur of land frequented by crows' and is formed from the Old English 'crāwe' and 'hōh'. However, Crawe is also an anglo-saxon female personal name (Suffolk: Anglo-saxon wills xiv, xv, unpublished), so Crawe's ridge or farm is another possible interpretation.
The parish contained two Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
manors of Ockendon (Wochenduna), while Cranham (Crawenho) was the smaller of the two. By 1323, the two manors were referred together as 'Wokydon Craunhoo'. During the Middle Ages, and until around the 15th century, the whole parish became known as Bishop's Ockendon because the larger of the two manors had been owned by the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, and to avoid confusion with North Ockendon
North Ockendon
North Ockendon is an outlying settlement of northeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and consists of a dispersed settlement within the Metropolitan Green Belt...
and South Ockendon
South Ockendon
South Ockendon is settlement and Church of England parish in the Thurrock borough and unitary district in Essex in the East of England, United Kingdom.-History:...
nearby; this still appeared on some victorian legal documents.
Economic development
It is recorded in 1086 as being heavily wooded, supporting an agrarian way of life. Forest clearance was well advanced by the 15th century, with an increase in population and arable land; and there was a windmill in Cranham. Cranham lay on brick earth and this gave rise to the Cranham Brick and Tile Company which was in operation from 1900 to 1920. Drury has suggested that early trade was with the nearby settlements of RomfordRomford
Romford is a large suburban town in north east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan...
and Hornchurch
Hornchurch
Hornchurch is a large suburban town in England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Hornchurch is in North-East London .It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping...
and with London via the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
at Rainham
Rainham, London
Rainham is a suburban town in northeast London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Located east of Charing Cross, it is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan and is surrounded by a residential area, which has grown from the historic village,...
.
Local government
Cranham formed an ancient parish of 1879 acre in the ChaffordChafford (hundred)
Chafford was an ancient hundred in the south west of the county of Essex, England. Its area has been partly absorbed by the growth of London; with its name reused for the modern housing development of Chafford Hundred...
hundred of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. The vestry met in the church until 1829 and then at the parish workhouse. In 1836 the parish was grouped for poor relief into the Romford Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
and for sanitary provision in 1875 into Romford rural sanitary district
Sanitary district
Sanitary districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures:*Urban sanitary districts in towns with existing local government bodies...
. The sanitary district became Romford Rural District
Romford Rural District
Romford Rural District was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1894 to 1934. It surrounded, but did not include, Romford which formed a separate urban district...
from 1894 and a parish council was formed to replace the vestry.
The parish formed part of the London Traffic Area
London Traffic Area
The London Traffic Area was established by the London Traffic Act 1924 in order to regulate the increasing amount of motor traffic in the London area...
from 1924 and the London Passenger Transport Area
London Passenger Transport Board
The London Passenger Transport Board was the organisation responsible for public transport in London, UK, and its environs from 1933 to 1948...
from 1933. To reflect the significantly increased population in the area, Romford Rural District was abolished in 1934 and Cranham was amalgamated with neighbouring parishes into Hornchurch Urban District
Hornchurch Urban District
Hornchurch was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1926 to 1965. The urban district council was based at Langtons House. The district formed a suburb of London and was expanded in 1934...
. The parish council was abolished and Hornchurch Urban District Council became the local authority. There was a revision of boundaries with North Ockendon
North Ockendon
North Ockendon is an outlying settlement of northeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and consists of a dispersed settlement within the Metropolitan Green Belt...
, which had been part of Orsett Rural District
Orsett Rural District
Orsett Rural District was a local government district in south Essex, England from 1894 to 1936. It was formed as a rural district in 1894. From 1835, the constituent parishes had made up the Orsett Poor Law Union and from 1875 they also formed the Orsett RSD....
, absorbed into Cranham and a small area to the north, near Great Warley
Great Warley
Great Warley is a village in the Brentwood borough of Essex, England. It is situated to the far south west of the county and near to the Greater London boundary and the M25 motorway.Consecrated in 1904, the Grade I listed parish church, St...
, transferred to Brentwood Urban District
Brentwood Urban District
Brentwood Urban District was a local government district in south Essex, England from 1899 to 1974.The district was created in 1899 from the parish of Brentwood which from 1894 had formed part of Billericay Rural District....
.
In 1965 Hornchurch Urban District was abolished and its former area was transferred from Essex to Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
, to be combined with that of the Municipal Borough of Romford
Municipal Borough of Romford
Romford was a local government district in southwest Essex from 1851 to 1965. It was significantly expanded in 1934 and gained the status of municipal borough in 1937...
in order to form the present-day London Borough of Havering
London Borough of Havering
The London Borough of Havering is a London borough in North East London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in Havering is Romford and the other main communities are Hornchurch, Upminster and Rainham. The borough is mainly characterised by suburban development with large...
. In 1993 the Greater London boundary, to the east of Cranham and north of the railway line, was locally realigned to the M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
, returning some mostly unpopulated areas of open land to Essex and leaving North Ockendon
North Ockendon
North Ockendon is an outlying settlement of northeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and consists of a dispersed settlement within the Metropolitan Green Belt...
as the only part of Greater London outside the bounds of the motorway.
Urban development
In the 17th and 18th centuries the manorial homes of southern Essex, including Cranham Hall, became attractive properties for merchants from the City of LondonCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. Initial attempts to expand the suburban estates from Upminster in the early 20th century ran into problems because of the lack of water supply. In 1922 sewage works for Upminster and Cranham were opened in Great Warley. In the 1930s land was used to develop some council housing and following the sale of the Benyon estate the pace of new building quickened. Cranham's location on the very edge of London's urban sprawl is explained by the halting effect on suburban house building of the introduction of the Metropolitan Green Belt
Metropolitan Green Belt
The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It includes designated parts of Greater London and the surrounding counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey in the South East and East of England regions.-History:The...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Thereafter building took place within the area bounded by the Southend Arterial Road in the north and St Mary's Lane in the south; and there were 615 council houses built by 1971.
Governance
Cranham forms part of the Hornchurch and Upminster UK Parliament constituencyHornchurch and Upminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Hornchurch and Upminster is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, and is partly within the Havering wards of Upminster and Cranham. Together these form the Upminster Area Committee. The current MP is Angela Watkinson
Angela Watkinson
Angela Eileen Watkinson is a politician in the United Kingdom. She is Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Hornchurch and Upminster, and was first elected in 2001 to the earlier seat of Upminster, beating Keith Darvill who had taken the seat from the Conservatives in 1997...
. Each ward elects three councillors to Havering London Borough Council
Havering London Borough Council
Havering London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Havering in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. Havering is divided into 18 wards, each electing three councillors...
. All six councillors elected in 2010 for the two wards were the Upminster and Cranham Residents' Association candidates and the area is unusual in that the residents' association is strongly active. From 1945 to 1974 Cranham formed part of the Hornchurch constituency
Hornchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Hornchurch was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
and from 1974 to 2010 it formed part of the Upminster constituency
Upminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Upminster was a constituency of the House of Commons in east London, which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system...
. Cranham is within the Havering and Redbridge London Assembly constituency
Havering and Redbridge (London Assembly constituency)
-Boundaries:It consists of the combined area of the London Borough of Havering and London Borough of Redbridge, both in East London.-Election results:...
and the London European Parliament constituency
London (European Parliament constituency)
London is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 8 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :The constituency corresponds to Greater London, in the south east of the United Kingdom....
.
Geography
Most of Cranham is located on the London ClayLondon Clay
The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for the fossils it contains. The fossils from the Lower Eocene indicate a moderately warm climate, the flora being tropical or subtropical...
belt, with loam to the north and a gravel valley to the south. It rises to about 250 feet (76.2 m) in the north and to below 50 feet (15.2 m) in the south; with a ridge running east to west upon which All Saints church is located. Cranham forms a continuously built-up area with Upminster to the west, with open fields separating it from Harold Wood
Harold Wood
Harold Wood is a place in the London Borough of Havering, east London, England.It is a suburban development situated east-northeeast of Charing Cross...
in the north, Great Warley
Great Warley
Great Warley is a village in the Brentwood borough of Essex, England. It is situated to the far south west of the county and near to the Greater London boundary and the M25 motorway.Consecrated in 1904, the Grade I listed parish church, St...
to the east and North Ockendon
North Ockendon
North Ockendon is an outlying settlement of northeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and consists of a dispersed settlement within the Metropolitan Green Belt...
to the southeast. Franks Wood and Cranham Brickfields are designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation with a habitat of ancient woodland
Ancient woodland
Ancient woodland is a term used in the United Kingdom to refer specifically to woodland that has existed continuously since 1600 or before in England and Wales . Before those dates, planting of new woodland was uncommon, so a wood present in 1600 was likely to have developed naturally...
, coppices, ditches, scrub, tall herbs and neutral grassland. The community forest
Community Forests in England
England's twelve community forests are afforestation-based regeneration projects which were established in the early 1990s. Each of them is a partnership between the Forestry Commission and the Countryside Agency, which are agencies of the British government, and the relevant local councils.Most of...
centre for the extensive Thames Chase
Thames Chase
Thames Chase is a community forest of 9842 hectares located in 47 sites in London and Essex, England. Its stated aim is...to renew and regenerate the landscape at the edge of East London and South Essex by creating Thames Chase, the Community Forest: a varied wooded landscape for local people to...
is located in the open land to the south east. Cranham forms part of the Upminster post town
Post town
A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system. Including the correct post town in the address increases the chances of a letter or parcel being delivered on time. Post towns are usually based upon the location of...
in the RM14 postcode district.
A housing estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
called Upminster Park Estate occupies west central Cranham, either side of Avon Road, and extending across the boundary into Upminster
Upminster
Upminster is a suburban town in northeast London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Located east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan, and comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential...
.
Demography
| Cranham compared (2001 Census) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statistic | Upminster | Cranham | Havering | London | England |
| Ethnic group | |||||
| White | 12,354 | 11,930 | 213,421 | 5,103,203 | 44,679,361 |
| Asian | 133 | 120 | 4,088 | 866,693 | 2,248,289 |
| Black | 59 | 64 | 3,139 | 782,849 | 1,132,508 |
| Mixed | 87 | 78 | 2,298 | 226,111 | 643,373 |
| Chinese/Other | 41 | 19 | 827 | 70,928 | 231,424 |
| Population | |||||
| Total | 12,674 | 12,242 | 224,248 | 7,172,091 | 49,138,831 |
| Density(/hectare) | 5.62 | 18.67 | 19.97 | 45.62 | 3.77 |
| Households | 4,946 | 5,111 | 91,722 | 3,015,997 | 20,451,427 |
Demographic data is produced by the Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
for the wards of Cranham and Upminster. All of Cranham is contained within these wards, however they also cover the connected settlement of Upminster
Upminster
Upminster is a suburban town in northeast London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Located east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan, and comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential...
and the rural outlier of North Ockendon
North Ockendon
North Ockendon is an outlying settlement of northeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east northeast of Charing Cross and consists of a dispersed settlement within the Metropolitan Green Belt...
. In 2001 the population of Upminster ward was 12,674 and Cranham ward was 12,242, giving a total population of 25,098. 80.95% in Upminster and 81.73% in Cranham report their religion as Christian, compared to 76.13% for Havering, 58.23% in London and 71.74% in England. 10.08% in Upminster and 10.46% in Cranham report having no religion, compared to 13.18% in Havering, 15.76% in London and 14.59% in England. With a black and minority ethnic
Classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom
The classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom has attracted controversy in the past: particularly at the time of the 2001 Census where the existence and nature of such a classification, which appeared on the Census form, became more widely known than general.Different classifications, both...
population of 3% in 2001, Cranham and Upminster wards have the lowest Simpson index
Simpson index
Simpson's diversity index is one of a number of diversity indices, used to measure diversity. In ecology, it is often used to quantify the biodiversity of a habitat. It takes into account the number of species present, as well as the relative abundance of each species...
for ethnic diversity in London. The level of home ownership
Owner-occupier
An owner-occupier is a person who lives in and owns the same home. It is a type of housing tenure. The home of the owner-occupier may be, for example, a house, apartment, condominium, or a housing cooperative...
is atypically high compared to the rest of London and England, with over 90% of housing tenure under owner-occupation in both wards.
Economy
There are three short parades of shops; the smallest in St.Mary's Lane, and two larger on Avon Road and in Front Lane, dominated by a Tesco Express store. The nearest significant activity centre identified in the London PlanLondon Plan
The London Plan is a planning document written by the Mayor of London, England in the United Kingdom and published by the Greater London Authority. The plan was first published in final form on 10 February 2004 and has since been amended. The current version was published in February 2008...
is the local district centre at Upminster
Upminster
Upminster is a suburban town in northeast London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Located east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan, and comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential...
. Within Havering, Upminster is identified as the nearest of seven main town centres. There are a number of commercial businesses centred around the A127 Southend Arterial Road including a wholesale butcher, mushroom cultivator, caravan sales, and a sports equipment
Sports equipment
Sports equipment is a general term for any object used for sport or exercise. Examples of sports equipment include:-Exercise equipment:Examples for exercise include swiss balls, weights, equipment for the gym...
supplier. A significant boat dealership and chandlery exists in the unlikely location of St.Mary's Lane near the Jobber's Rest public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
There are a limited number of hospitality venues, including pubs and a popular tandoori restaurant.
Transport
Front Lane is the main road through Cranham and runs north to south, connecting with the A127 roadA127 road
The A127, also known as the Southend Arterial Road, is one of the trunk roads in England linking London with Southend-on-Sea, the other being the A13. It is a dual carriageway for its entire length, rare on a trunk road since the only others are the A14 and the A282, and is known as the Southend...
in the north. Approximately 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) to the northeast it has a junction with the M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
, which forms the outer ring road of London. Cranham is the location of the Upminster depot of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
's District line
District Line
The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. It is a "sub-surface" line, running through the central area in shallow cut-and-cover tunnels. It is the busiest of the sub-surface lines. Out of the 60 stations served, 25 are underground...
. The nearest London Underground station is at Upminster
Upminster station
Upminster station is a London Underground and National Rail station located in Upminster in the London Borough of Havering and in London fare zone 6. Located east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is the easternmost station on the London Underground network and the eastern terminus of the District...
, approximately 0.75 miles (1.2 km) to the west. The London-Tilbury-Southend Line
London, Tilbury and Southend Railway
The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway is an English railway line linking Fenchurch Street railway station in the City of London with northeast London and the entire length of the northern Thames Gateway area of southern Essex. It is currently known as the Essex Thameside Route by Network Rail...
of the National Rail
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
network passes through the area in two places, with the nearest station also at Upminster. There are Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
bus service to Upminster, Hornchurch
Hornchurch
Hornchurch is a large suburban town in England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Hornchurch is in North-East London .It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping...
, Romford
Romford
Romford is a large suburban town in north east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan...
, and Ockendon station on routes 248
London Buses route 248
London Buses route 248 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London.-History:...
, 346 and 347.
Culture
All SaintsAll Saints
All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
parish church, re-built 1873, is a grade II listed building. James Oglethorpe
James Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe was a British general, member of Parliament, philanthropist, and founder of the colony of Georgia...
, the first governor of Georgia, (now part of the United States of America) is buried with his wife at the centre of its chancel. The area around the church forms a conservation area. There is a second church called St Luke's further north on Front Lane.
Cranham Hall, as it stands today is at least the third building of that name. Revd Sir Edward Petre
Edward Petre
Sir Edward Petre, 3rd baronet SJ was an English Jesuit who became a close adviser to King James II and was appointed a privy councillor.-Early life:...
of Cranham Hall (the 3rd Baronet, and who was the confessor of James II), as well as James Oglethorpe
James Oglethorpe
James Edward Oglethorpe was a British general, member of Parliament, philanthropist, and founder of the colony of Georgia...
lived in its predecessor, of red brick, some of whose garden wall survives.
There are two community associations that are both registered charities. The Cranham Community Association operates a broad range of sporting, self improvement and hobby activities at Cranham Community Centre on Marlborough Gardens. Cranham Social Hall, with a capacity of 100, is separately operated by the Front Lane Community Association, and provides a limited range of activities. The main cultural and entertainment facilities of the borough are located in Hornchurch and Romford.