Human settlement in England
West Ham is an area in East London, located 6.1 mi (9.8 km) east of Charing Cross π in the west of the modern London Borough of Newham.
The area, which lies immediately to the north of the River π Thames and east of the River Lea, was originally an ancient parish formed to serve parts of the older Manor π of Ham, and it later became a County Borough. The district, part of the historic county of Essex, was an π administrative unit, with largely consistent boundaries, from the 12th century to 1965, when it merged with neighbouring areas to become π the western part of the new London Borough of Newham. The area of the parish and borough included not just π central West Ham area, just south of Stratford; but also the sub-districts of Stratford, Canning Town, Plaistow, Custom House, Silvertown, π Forest Gate and the western parts of Upton Park, which is shared with East Ham.
The district was historically dependent on π its docks and other maritime trades, while the inland industrial concentrations led to its byname as the Factory centre of π the south of England.[2] These sources of employment have largely been lost, though there has been a degree of regeneration, π in part associated with the 2012 Olympic Games.
History [ edit ]