North Ockendon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids North Ockendon |
|
|---|---|
 North Ockendon village |
|
 North Ockendon
|
|
| OS grid reference | TQ595855 |
| • Charing Cross | 18 mi (29 km) WSW |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | UPMINSTER |
| Postcode district | RM14 |
| Dialling code | 01708 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament |
|
| London Assembly |
|
North Ockendon is a small area in Greater London, England. It's special because it's the easternmost part of London. It's also the only inhabited place in Greater London that lies outside the M25 motorway, which is a big ring road around London. North Ockendon is part of the London Borough of Havering. It's about 18 miles (29 km) east of central London. It's mostly a spread-out village area within a protected green space called the Metropolitan Green Belt.
Contents
A Look Back in Time
North Ockendon has a long history. It used to be an ancient parish in the county of Essex. A parish is like a local area with its own church. The parish church, dedicated to Mary Magdalene, was built in the 1300s. It was built on the site of an even older church.
For many years, North Ockendon was a parish in the Orsett Rural District of Essex. In the 1930s, there were plans to change how local areas were managed. It was decided that North Ockendon would be split. Most of it joined the Hornchurch Urban District, and a smaller part became part of the Thurrock Urban District. Even then, North Ockendon was still a countryside area. People thought new houses would soon be built there. However, the creation of the Metropolitan Green Belt stopped London's growth just before it reached North Ockendon. This meant the area stayed rural.
In 1965, Hornchurch Urban District was removed. Its area, including North Ockendon, became part of Greater London. This formed the London Borough of Havering that we know today.
When the M25 motorway was built, North Ockendon ended up on the outside of this large road. In 1992, there was a suggestion to move this part of London back to Essex. However, people living in North Ockendon didn't want this. They felt more connected to Havering than to Thurrock. So, North Ockendon remained part of London. This is why it's the only inhabited part of Greater London that is outside the M25 motorway.
North Ockendon is also home to Stubbers. This used to be a large, fancy house, but it was taken down in 1955. Now, its grounds are used as an exciting activity centre.
Did you know that Elizabeth Kucinich, who is married to a U.S. politician, was born in North Ockendon in 1977?
Who Lives Here?
North Ockendon is part of the Upminster area. A census in 2011 showed that most of the people living here were white. Small numbers of people from Indian, Chinese, and Black African backgrounds also lived there.
What's the Land Like?
North Ockendon is in a low-lying area. To the east, there's a small area of fenland, which is a type of marshy land. The rest of the land is made up of clays and river deposits. The fields here have very straight boundaries.
To the north, beyond the railway line, North Ockendon borders villages like Great Warley and Little Warley in Brentwood. To the east are West Horndon and Bulphan. To the south is South Ockendon, which is in Thurrock. As mentioned, North Ockendon is the only main settlement in Greater London that is outside the M25 motorway.
The Church of St Mary Magdalene, North Ockendon is very old. It has a special Norman-style door on its south side. The church tower was once used for a very important scientific experiment. A Reverend named William Derham, who was the Rector of Upminster, used it to measure the speed of sound accurately. He fired gunshots from the tower. Someone else watched the flash from the tower of the church of St Laurence, Upminster through a telescope. They then timed how long it took for the sound to arrive. Knowing the distance, they could figure out the speed of sound!
What About Work?
Proposed Data Centre
There are plans for a very large data centre to be built in North Ockendon. A data centre is a huge building filled with computers that store and process information for the internet. As of October 2023, the local council was thinking about giving permission for this project.
Getting Around
The closest train stations are Ockendon and Upminster.
You can also get around by bus. London bus routes 347 and 370 connect North Ockendon to Upminster and Romford. The 370 bus also goes to the Lakeside Shopping Centre. There are also Essex bus routes 269 and X81 that link the area to Brentwood. The 269 goes to Grays, and the X81 also goes to Lakeside Shopping Centre.
