Woodford
The beginnings of Woodford can be traced to a medieval settlement which developed around a ford across the River Roding.

The earliest use of the name dates from 1062 as ’Wudeford’. The ford refers to a crossing of the River Roding, which was replaced with a bridge by 1238.

The easy access to Epping Forest, where members of the royal family hunted made it attractive around the fifteenth century, when wealthy Londoners started to build mansions here.

There were two main roads into Woodford: Lower Road (now Chigwell Road) and Upper Road (now Woodford New Road). Upper Road was lesser used being in a bad condition. The Middlesex and Essex Turnpike Trust undertook its repair and overhaul in 1721, and extended it to Whitechapel. In 1828, the Trust built the Woodford New Road from Walthamstow to Woodford Wells, and was soon after connected to the newly built Epping New Road.

Part of the district gained the name of Woodford Green by 1883 - the earlier name was Woodford Row.

Woodford station was originally opened on 22 August 1856 as part of the Eastern Counties Railway branch from Leyton to Loughton. On 14 December 1947, it became part of the extension of the Central Line. At first, the station acted as a terminus of the Central line, with passengers transferring to a steam shuttle onwards towards Epping.

During the planning of the Victoria line, route options included a continuation of the line from Walthamstow Central to Woodford or South Woodford stations until a decision in 1961.

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