:Romford

Romford is first recorded in 1177 as Romfort, which is formed from Old English 'rūm' and 'ford' and means "the wide or spacious ford".{{cite book |title=Dictionary of London Place Names |year=2001 |last=Mills |first=A.D. |publisher=Oxford}} The naming of the River Rom is a local 'back-formation' from the name of the town; and the river is elsewhere known as the Beam. The ford most likely existed on the main London to Colchester road where it crossed that river.

File:ECR(1851) p57a - Romford.jpg with the Havering Liberty court house in the background in 1851]]

The town developed in the Middle Ages on the main road to London and the regionally significant Romford Market was established in 1247.{{cite book | url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=42817 | publisher=British History Online | title=Romford: Economic History, A History of the County of Essex: Volume 7 |series= Victoria County History | year=1978 | author=Powell, W.R. (Edr.) | accessdate=6 August 2009}} The original site of the town was to the south, in an area known as Oldchurch. It was moved northwards to the present site in the later medieval period to avoid the frequent flooding of the River Rom. The first permanent church on the site of the current Church of St Edward the Confessor was built after permission was granted by Henry IV in 1406.{{cite book|author1=Weinreb, Ben |author2=Hibbert, Christopher |title=The London Encyclopaedia |edition=reprint |year=1992 |publisher=Macmillan |page=675|title-link=The London Encyclopaedia }} The early history of Romford and the immediate area is agricultural and it is recorded as being the location of a number of mills used to grind corn. The area was a focus of the leather industry from the 15th to the early 19th centuries and there is record of a wide range of industries such as cloth making, weaving, charcoal burning, metal working and brewing. Communications played an important part in its development; the main road to London was maintained by the Middlesex and Essex Turnpike Trust from 1721 and Romford became a coaching town in the 18th century.{{ cite book | url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42815 | title=Romford: Introduction, A History of the County of Essex: Volume 7 | author=Powell, W.R. (Edr.) | series= Victoria County History | publisher=British History Online | accessdate=6 August 2009 | year=1978 }}

{{anchor|Romford Canal|Romford Canal Act 1880}}

Several failed attempts were made in the early 19th century to connect the town to the Thames via a Romford Canal.{{cite news |last1= |title=Navigable cut from Rainham to Romford |work=The London Gazette |issue=16409 |date=2 October 1810 |page=1539}} It was initially intended to terminate at a basin near to the Star Brewery, to transport agricultural products to London and, eventually, to serve growing industrial sites in Romford. A later proposal included an extension to Collier Row, whereby timber from Hainault Forest could be transported to the Thames for use in the Royal Dockyards. Only two miles of canal were constructed and the canal company were unable to reach the town.{{cite web |last1=Gill |first1=Jonathan |title=The Romford Canal Essex |url=https://docslib.org/doc/5772453/the-romford-cai-al-essex |publisher=Oxford Archaeology Unit |access-date=18 February 2022 |language=en}}

The development of the town was accelerated by the opening of the railway station in 1839 which stimulated the local economy and was key to the development of the Star Brewery. Initially Eastern Counties Railway services operated between Mile End and Romford, with extensions to Brentwood and to Shoreditch in 1840. A second station was opened on South Street in 1892 by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway on the line to Upminster and Grays, giving Romford a rail connection to Tilbury Docks. The two stations were combined into one in 1934. Light industry slowly developed, reaching a peak in the 1970s with a number of factories on the edge of town, such as the Roneo Vickers office machinery company, Colvern manufacturers of wireless components, May's Sheet Metal Works and brush manufacturers Betterware. Suburban expansion increased the population and reinforced Romford's position as a significant regional town centre. The Liberty Shopping Centre was constructed in the 1960s, and has been modernised and supplemented with further shopping centres throughout the town, including The Mercury Mall, opened in 1990;{{efn|The Mercury Mall was opened as Liberty 2}} and The Brewery, opened in 2000 on the site of the old Star Brewery.{{cite web | url=http://www.havering.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2402 | author=Havering London Borough Council | title=Romford Town Centre | access-date=6 August 2009 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927021237/http://www.havering.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=2402 | archive-date=27 September 2007 | df=dmy-all }}

File:Romford borough 1911.png (1) absorbed Havering-atte-Bower (2) and Noak Hill (3) in 1934{{cite vob | url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10073303&c_id=10001043 | map=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/boundary_map_page.jsp?u_id=10073303&c_id=10001043 | name=Romford UD/MB | accessdate=14 August 2009 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605032340/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10073303&c_id=10001043 | archive-date=5 June 2011 | df=dmy-all }}]]

Romford formed a chapelry in the large ancient parish of Hornchurch in the Becontree hundred of Essex; as well as the town it included the wards of Collier Row, Harold Wood, and Noak Hill.{{cite book | url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42818 | publisher=British History Online | title=Romford: Local government, A History of the County of Essex: Volume 7 | year=1978 | author=Powell, W.R. (Edr.) | series= Victoria County History | access-date=6 August 2009}} Through ancient custom the area enjoyed special status and a charter in 1465 removed the parish from the Becontree hundred and the county of Essex and it instead formed the independent liberty of Havering governed from a court house in the market place.{{cite book | url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42805 | publisher=British History Online | title=The liberty of Havering-atte-Bower, A History of the County of Essex: Volume 7 | year=1978 | author=Powell, W.R. (Edr.) | series= Victoria County History | access-date=16 August 2009}} Over time the vestry of Romford chapelry absorbed the local powers that would usually be held by the parish authorities in Hornchurch and in 1849 Romford became a separate parish within the liberty.{{Cite vob | url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10199463&c_id=10001043 | name=Havering atte Bower liberty | accessdate=6 August 2009 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001043708/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10199463&c_id=10001043 | archive-date=1 October 2007 | df=dmy-all }} Improvement commissioners were set up in 1819 for paving, lighting, watching, and cleansing of the marketplace and main streets. As the town grew this arrangement became ineffective at controlling sanitation and in 1851 a local board of health was set up for the parish; although its area was reduced in 1855 to cover only the town ward. The remainder of the parish became part of the Romford rural sanitary district in 1875. These changes and the introduction of the Romford Poor Law Union in 1836 eroded the powers of the liberty and it was finally abolished in 1892 and reincorporated into Essex.

The Local Government Act 1894 reformed local government and created the Romford Urban District and Romford Rural District to replace the local board and sanitary district; following which the Romford parish was split into Romford Urban and Romford Rural along the lines of the urban district. In 1900 the parish was recombined and the urban district expanded to cover all of the former area of the historic chapelry, except for Noak Hill which remained in the rural district and had become a parish in its own right in 1895. The enlarged urban district formed part of the London Traffic Area from 1924 and the London Passenger Transport Area from 1933.{{cite book |title=The Government and Mis-government of London |last=Robson |first=William |year=1939 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=London }} The suburban expansion of London caused an increase in population during the 1930s and the urban district was expanded further in 1934, taking in the parishes of Havering-atte-Bower and Noak Hill. It was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Romford in 1937. In 1965 the municipal borough was abolished and its former area was combined with that of Hornchurch Urban District; it was again removed from Essex and since then has formed the northern part of the London Borough of Havering in Greater London.{{cite book |author1=Young, K. |author2=Garside, P. |name-list-style=amp | title=Metropolitan London: Politics and Urban Change 1837-1981 |url=https://archive.org/details/metropolitanlond0000youn |url-access=registration | year=1982 |publisher=Edward Arnold |isbn=9780713163315 }}{{cite vob | url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10166913&c_id=10001043 | name=Havering LB | map=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/boundary_map_page.jsp?u_id=10166913&c_id= | accessdate=6 August 2009 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211082200/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10166913&c_id=10001043 | archive-date=11 February 2009 | df=dmy-all }} For elections to the Greater London Council, Romford was part of the Havering electoral division until 1973 and then the Romford electoral division until 1986.

File:Romford london map.png

There was early expansion of 200 cottages in the 1840s in an area known as New Romford that was formerly occupied by an army barracks. To the east of the market place from 1850 middle class suburban housing was constructed with a much larger area of {{convert|200|acres|ha|abbr=off|round=5}} built-over to the south of the railway from 1851 and by 1861 the population had grown to 3790.{{cite book |last= Bradshaw |first= George |title= 1861 Bradshaws Handbook |publisher= Collins |location= Bishopbriggs |year= 2015 |page= Section IV p.32 |no-pp=yes |isbn=978-0-00-794195-7}} Through a gradual process of selling off former manors, houses were built radiating from the town in all directions for about a mile, and further significant growth occurred between 1910 and 1911 with the construction of Romford Garden Suburb, which included Raphael Park and Gidea Park railway station. Large sections of land to the north of the town at Collier Row were developed in the interwar period and after World War II, the London County Council built the Harold Hill estate to the north east from 1948 to 1958. The Barrack Ground estate was redeveloped in the early 1960s and the name Waterloo Road estate was applied.{{cite book |last1=Foley |first1=Michael |title=Essex at war through time |date=2009 |publisher=Amberly |location=Stroud |isbn=9781445624983 |chapter=The Early Barracks}}

The right to supply electricity to the town was secured by the County of London Electricity Supply Company in 1913. Initially power was generated within the Star Brewery site, with the supply switching to Barking Power Station in 1925. Gas supply began in 1825 with gas works of {{convert|25|acres|ha}} constructed by 1938. Following the Telegraph Act 1899 Romford became part of the Post Office London telephone area{{ cite book | title=Virtual Geographies | year=1999 | last= Crang, Crang & May | publisher=Routledge}} and the Romford exchange was recorded as having 240 subscribers in 1916.{{cite web|url=http://www.privateline.com/TelephoneHistory3A/london1916big.gif |publisher=Private Line |title=London Telephone Area in 1916 |accessdate=14 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061214003002/http://www.privateline.com/TelephoneHistory3A/london1916big.gif |archive-date=14 December 2006 }} The town water supply initially came from the Havering Well, and 1859 a new public well and pump was built at the east end of the market. The South Essex Waterworks Company started installing mains water supply in 1863 and had offices in South Street. By 1905 its supply was serving Ilford, Collier Row, Ardleigh Green, Brentwood, and Hornchurch. Sewage works were installed by the local board at Oldchurch in 1862, with further works built in Hornchurch in 1869. Romford Cemetery was established in 1871.{{cite book |last1=Cherry |first1=Bridget |last2=O'Brien |first2=Charles |last3=Pevsner |first3=Nikolaus |title=London: East |date=2007 |publisher=Yale Univ. Press |location=New Haven London |isbn=9780300107012 |edition=Reprinted with corrections}}

File:Romford 2023 Constituency.svg

{{As of|2024}}, the Romford UK Parliament constituency consists of the Havering wards of Havering-atte-Bower, Hylands and Harrow Lodge, Marshalls and Rise Park, Mawneys, Rush Green and Crowlands, St Alban's, St Edward's and Squirrel's Heath.{{Cite web |title=New Seat Details - Romford |url=https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/calcwork23.py?seat=Romford |access-date=24 May 2025 |website=www.electoralcalculus.co.uk}} The MP since 2001 is Andrew Rosindell of the Conservative Party, a native of the town.

Since the 2022 election, each ward elects two or three councillors to Havering London Borough Council.{{cite news |last1=Thomson |first1=Charles |title=Havering electoral wards face axe as borough is split into 20 areas |url=https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/local-council/21474119.havering-electoral-wards-face-axe-borough-split-20-areas/ |access-date=24 May 2025 |work=Romford Recorder |date=13 May 2021 |language=en}} Romford forms part of the Havering and Redbridge constituency for elections to the London Assembly.

{{Further|Geography of London|Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Havering}}

File:River rom south roneo corner.jpg emerges from underground channels at Roneo Corner.]]

File:Romford 15 mile radius.png

The town centre is about {{convert|50|ft|m}} above sea level on a gravel terrace rising from the River Thames. The north of the town has developed on London Clay and is situated as much as {{cvt|150|ft|m}} above sea level. A continuous gentle rise in the eastern suburbs towards Gidea Park and Harold Wood peaks around {{convert|54|m|ft|order=flip}} around the Harold Court. On the northern side, Harold Hill peaks at {{cvt|75|m}}. The semi-rural area north of Collier Row and Harold Hill consists of many rolls of hills, with elevation peaking at the village of Havering-atte-Bower, {{convert|105|m|ft|order=flip}}.

The town centre is for the most part contained within a ring road formed of St Edwards Way, Mercury Gardens, Thurloe Gardens, Oldchurch Road and Waterloo Road. The market place and much of South Street and the High Street are pedestrianised. The railway cuts through the town from east to west on a viaduct, with the bulk of the central Romford area to its north. The River Rom flows through the town in underground channels and joins the Thames after flowing through Hornchurch; elsewhere along its course it is known as the River Beam and forms part of the strategic waterways Blue Ribbon Network.{{cite web | url=http://www.london.gov.uk/thelondonplan/images/maps-diagrams/jpg/map-4c-1.jpg | title=The blue ribbon network | author=Mayor of London | publisher=Greater London Authority | year=2004 | access-date=14 August 2009 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531064623/http://www.london.gov.uk/thelondonplan/images/maps-diagrams/jpg/map-4c-1.jpg | archive-date=31 May 2010 | df=dmy-all | author-link=Mayor of London }}

Romford has formed part of the continuously built-up area of London since the 1930s{{cite book |title=The Government and Mis-government of London |last=Robson |first=William |year=1939 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=London | pages=26–27}} and is contiguous with Rush Green to the west, Collier Row to the north, Gidea Park to the east and Hornchurch to the southeast.

The Romford post town covers Collier Row, Gidea Park, Harold Hill, Harold Park, Harold Wood, Havering-atte-Bower, Rise Park and Rush Green, extending into sections of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and Epping Forest District. The Romford postcode area extends further.{{ cite book | publisher=Royal Mail Group | author=Royal Mail | year=2004 | title=Address Management Guide | page=168 | author-link=Royal Mail }}

Romford is located {{cvt|14|mi|km|0}} northeast of Charing Cross in central London; {{cvt|4+3/4|mi|km|round=0.5}} northeast of Ilford; {{cvt|2+1/2|mi|km|0}} north of Dagenham; {{cvt|9|mi|km|0}} northwest of Grays; {{cvt|6|mi|km|0}} south-west of Brentwood; {{cvt|12|mi|km|0}} west of Basildon; and {{cvt|9|mi|km|0}} southeast of Epping.

Climate data for Romford is taken from the nearest weather station at Greenwich, around {{convert|10|mi|km|0}} southwest of the marketplace.

{{Greenwich weatherbox}}

{{further|Demographics of the London Borough of Havering|Demographics of London}}

The population of the Romford parliamentary constituency was 109,400 in 2022. The population of the London Borough of Havering was 264,700.Office for National Statistics – Mid Year Population Estimates 2022 In 2021 there were 41,800 households in Romford constituency and 101,300 in the borough of Havering.Office for National Statistics – Census 2021 In 2021 12.8% in Romford constituency (10.7% in Havering) were Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh; 8.1% (8.2%) were Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African; 4.1% (3.7%) were Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups; 72.4% (75.3%) were White; and 2.5% (2.0%) were Other ethnic group. In 2021, 29.2% in Romford constituency (30.6% in Havering) report No religion; 51.1% (52.2%) were Christian; 0.4% (0.4%) Buddhist; 2.9% (2.5%) Hindu; 0.7% (0.5%) Jewish; 7.5% (6.2%) Muslim; 2.0% (1.7%) Sikh; 0.4% (0.4%) Other religion; and 5.7% (5.5%) Not answered.

{{further|Economy of the London Borough of Havering|Economy of London}}

File:Romford Market - geograph.org.uk - 271991.jpg

Romford is recognised in the London Plan as one of 14 regionally significant metropolitan centres in Greater London, with a considerable catchment area.{{cite web |author1=Mayor of London |title=The London Plan |url=https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/the_london_plan_2021.pdf |website=Greater London Authority |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=March 2021}}{{cite web | url=http://www.havering.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=4743&p=0 | title=Romford Urban Strategy | author1=Urban Practitioners | author2=Allies and Morrison | name-list-style=amp | publisher=Havering London Borough Council | date=July 2005 | access-date=14 August 2009 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608211323/http://www.havering.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=4743&p=0 | archive-date=8 June 2011 | df=dmy-all }} The town has significant retail, office, leisure and cultural floorspace.{{cite web |title=Romford Town Centre Masterplan Supplementary Planning Document |url=https://democracy.havering.gov.uk/documents/s78059/08.1%20Romford%20Masterplan%20SPD.pdf |website=Havering London Borough Council |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=March 2025}}{{cite web |title=Romford Town Centre Masterplan Baseline Report |url=https://democracy.havering.gov.uk/documents/s75623/Romford+Masterplan+-+Appendix+2+-+Romford+Masterplan+Baseline.pdf |website=Havering London Borough Council |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=22 August 2024}} There is a developed night-time economy, greater than in any other metropolitan centre in Greater London, with {{cvt|8360|m2|sqft}} of cinemas, theatres and concert hall space; {{cvt|9530|m2|sqft}} of bars and pubs; {{cvt|5510|m2|sqft}} of cafés and restaurants; and {{cvt|2680|m2|sqft}} of fast food and take away venues. The night-time economy is almost as significant as the day economy with around 12,000 visits to Romford during the day and 11,000 visits to pubs, clubs and bars at night.{{cite web|title=Managing the Night Time Economy |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/archive/mayor/strategies/sds/docs/bpg-nighttime-economy.pdf |author=Mayor of London |date=June 2006 |publisher=Greater London Authority |access-date=14 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604095909/http://www.london.gov.uk/archive/mayor/strategies/sds/docs/bpg-nighttime-economy.pdf |archive-date=4 June 2011 |df=dmy |author-link=Mayor of London }} The night-time economy of clubs, pubs and bars has been growing since 2023. Romford Market has been in a long period of decline with 60 regular traders in 2020, down from a peak of over 300.{{cite web |title=Romford Market – Recovery Plan |url=https://democracy.havering.gov.uk/documents/s44862/58.%20Romford%20Market%20Recovery%20Plan.pdf |publisher=Havering London Borough Council |access-date=18 February 2023 |date=9 July 2020}}

{{Further|Public transport in the London Borough of Havering|Transport in London}}

File:Romford_station_23rd_June_2022_01.jpg

Romford town centre has a very high Public Transport Accessibility Level score of 6.

The town is served by Romford railway station, in London fare zone 6.{{cite web |title=London's Rail & Tube services |url=https://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf |website=Transport for London |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=September 2024}} The station is a stop on the Great Eastern Main Line. It is served by Elizabeth line trains between Shenfield and Paddington, with some services extended to Heathrow Airport.{{cite web |title=Elizabeth line timetable from Sunday 18 May to Saturday 13 December 2025 |url=https://content.tfl.gov.uk/elizabeth-line-may-2025.pdf |website=Transport for London |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=May 2025}} Romford is the western terminus of the Liberty line service of the London Overground, which connects the town to Upminster.{{cite web |last1=Jackson |first1=Liz |title=Transport for London rolls out new Overground names and colours |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvzp272pe9o |website=BBC News |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=20 November 2024}} Since May 2025, there is a regular off-peak Greater Anglia service between {{rws|Southend Victoria}} and {{rws|Liverpool Street}} calling at the station.{{cite news |title=Extra seats and additional summer services in Greater Anglia's new timetables (from 18 May 2025) |url=https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/about-us/news-desk/news-articles/extra-seats-and-additional-summer-services-in-greater-anglias-new |access-date=24 May 2025 |work=Greater Anglia |date=14 May 2025 |language=en}}

Romford is a hub of the London Buses network, with services to Canning Town, Stratford, Leytonstone and Dagenham; there are also feeder services from the large housing developments at Collier Row and Harold Hill.{{cite web |title=Buses from Romford Station |url=https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/romford-station-a4-010522.pdf |website=Transport for London |access-date=24 May 2025}} There are night bus services to Beam Park, Claybury Broadway, Havering Park, Leytonstone, Stratford, Harold Hill and Oxford Circus.

The A12 trunk road passes to the north of Romford, while the A118 road from Stratford connects with it at Gallows Corner at the start of the A127 road to Southend.{{cite web | url=http://www.havering.gov.uk/media/image/g/i/haveringmap_1.gif | title=Map of Havering | publisher=Havering London Borough Council | access-date=16 August 2008}}

File:Havering romford welcome sign.jpg

File:Brookside Theatre Entrance.jpg

In 2005, Havering Council's urban strategy had the stated aims of making Romford a cultural destination, whilst recognising that Hornchurch forms the main cultural hub of the borough with a large theatre and arts spaces. As a former market and coaching town, Romford is well served by public houses and two that are located in the market place are listed buildings.{{cite web|url=http://www.havering.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=8760 |title=Listed buildings in Romford |publisher=Havering London Borough Council |access-date=4 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608213113/http://www.havering.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=8760 |archive-date=8 June 2011 }} The market and adjacent streets also form a conservation area.{{cite web|url=http://www.havering.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=2372&p=0 |title=Romford Conservation Area |author=Planning Department |publisher=Havering London Borough Council |year=2006 |access-date=21 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608212657/http://www.havering.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=2372&p=0 |archive-date=8 June 2011 }}

Mass entertainment facilities in the town include the Brookside Theatre and Romford Greyhound Stadium, the last remaining dog racing track in London.{{cite web |last1=Elder |first1=Amelia |title=Southeast London's historic Crayford greyhound racetrack has closed for good |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/southeast-londons-historic-crayford-greyhound-racetrack-has-closed-for-good-010825 |website=Time Out London |access-date=25 May 2025 |date=15 January 2025}} two multi-screen cinemas; 1980s The town is strongly associated with the electronic music group Underworld, who cite Romford in their hit "Born Slippy", affiliated to the movie Trainspotting.{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/on-top-of-the-underworld-697475.html | title=On top of the Underworld | author=Ben Thompson | newspaper=The Independent | access-date=14 August 2009 | location=London | date=25 August 2000}}

{{Cquote|Ride the sainted rhythms on the midnight train to Romford|500||Dirty Epic on dubnobasswithmyheadman, Underworld (1994)}}

Romford's position as a focus for electronic music production was reinforced by the presence of the Strictly Underground and Suburban Base record labels, with Suburban Base developing from the Boogie Times record store.{{cite book | title= Drum 'n' bass: the rough guide | year=1999 | last=Shapiro | first=Peter | publisher=Rough Guides}} According to a Billboard article in 1992, Romford-produced dance music formed part of a trend favouring suburban and provincial "bedroom" record labels over those in central London.{{cite book | title=UK indies step outside london for dance hits | last=Sexton | first=Paul | publisher=Billboard |date=August 1992 }} In 2013, the film Death Walks was filmed in Romford over a four-month period. The cult TV series Garth Marenghi's Darkplace was set in the fictional Darkplace Hospital, in Romford.{{cite news |last1=Kachhela |first1=Riddhi |title=Six films, TV shows and music videos filmed or set in Romford |url=https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/24264902.6-films-tv-shows-music-videos-filmed-set-romford/ |access-date=24 May 2025 |work=Romford Recorder |date=20 April 2024 |language=en}}

The local newspaper for the town and the borough of Havering is the Romford Recorder, with an average circulation per issue of 8,852 in 2024.{{cite web |title=Romford Recorder - January to December 2024 |url=https://www.abc.org.uk/product/61 |website=ABC UK |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=13 February 2025}}

There are two radio stations located in the area; Time 107.5{{cite web|title=Time FM|url=http://TIME1075.NET|website=Time 107.5}} and Bedrock Radio, a community health and hospital radio station.{{cite web|title=Bedrock (Hospital Radio)|url=http://bedrockradio.org.uk|website=Bedrock (Hospital Radio)}}

Lumiere Cinema, located within the Mercury Mall, has served as the venue for the Romford Film Festival since 2017, the Romford Horror Film Festival since 2020, and the East London LGBTQ+ Film Festival since 2023.{{Cite news | title=Film festival returns to Romford next year with no fees for student filmmakers | url=https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/21521125.film-festival-returns-romford-next-year-no-fees-student-filmmakers/ | website=Romford Recorder | access-date = 16 February 2024 }}{{Cite news | title = Romford's First Horror Film Festival to take place this June and it promises to be truly Horrhiffic! | url = https://thehaveringdaily.co.uk/2021/06/01/romfords-first-horror-film-festival-to-take-place-this-june-and-it-promises-to-be-truly-horrhiffic/ | date = 1 June 2021 | website = The Havering Daily | access-date = 16 February 2024 }}{{Cite news | title=Kaleidoscope to host Romford's first LGBTQ+ Film Festival | url= https://thehaveringdaily.co.uk/2023/06/30/kaleidoscope-to-host-romfords-first-lgbtq-film-festival/ | publisher=The Havering Daily | website=The Havering Daily | date=30 June 2023 | access-date=16 February 2024 }}

In April 2023, hoodies were banned from the town centre along with Ski masks and motorcycle helmets in an initiative by Romford Business Improvement District, backed by Havering councillors and local Metropolitan Police officers, as a measure against antisocial behaviour.{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/30/stupid-uproar-in-romford-as-hoodies-banned-in-shopping-areas | title='Stupid!' Uproar in Romford as hoodies banned in shopping areas | newspaper=The Observer | date=30 April 2023 | last1=Tapper | first1=James }}

Romford F.C., who currently play in the Essex Senior League, is the local football team.{{cite web | url=http://www.romfordfc.com/ | title=History | author=Romford Football Club | access-date=14 August 2009 }} The Raiders IHC ice hockey team is based in Romford,{{cite news |last1=Reynolds |first1=Laura |title=Ice Hockey In London: Who Are The Teams, Where To Watch And When's It On? |url=https://londonist.com/london/sport/ice-hockey-london-teams-where-when-watch-play |access-date=25 May 2025 |work=Londonist |date=4 September 2023 |language=en}} at Romford Ice Arena until 2013 and now Sapphire Ice and Leisure.{{cite web | url=http://www.romfordicearena.co.uk/hockey.htm | title= Hockey is Back! | publisher=Romford Ice Arena | access-date=14 August 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080406034640/http://www.romfordicearena.co.uk/hockey.htm |archive-date = 6 April 2008}}{{cite web | url=https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/skaters-left-without-a-home-as-doors-close-on-ice-2941786 | title= Skaters left without a home as doors close on ice rink | date= 31 January 2013 | publisher=Romford Recorder | access-date=31 March 2013}} Sapphire Ice also replaced the Dolphin Centre, which was a popular swimming and leisure facility from 1982 to 1995.{{cite web |title=Innovative design at Sapphire Ice & Leisure centre - Physical Activity Facilities |url=https://www.paf-media.co.uk/design-of-sapphire-ice-and-leisure |website=Physical activity facilities |access-date=25 May 2025}} Romford and Gidea Park Rugby Football Club is based at Crowlands in Romford. Romford Bowls Club is based in Lodge Farm Park.{{cite news |last1=Hayes |first1=George |title=PHOTOS: Chelsea Pensioners visit Romford Bowls Club on 'historic' day |url=https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/23658546.chelsea-pensioners-visit-romford-bowls-club-lodge-farm-park/ |access-date=25 May 2025 |work=Romford Recorder |date=16 July 2023 |language=en}}

• List of people from the London Borough of Havering
• List of schools in the London Borough of Havering

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{{Reflist}}

• {{Citation |publisher = John Murray |location = London |title = Handbook to the Environs of London |author = James Thorne |date = 1876 |chapter= Romford |hdl = 2027/mdp.39015063815677 }}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Romford|short=x}}

{{LB Havering}}

{{London Districts}}

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Category:Areas of London

Category:Districts of the London Borough of Havering

Category:Metropolitan centres of London

Category:Market towns in London

Category:District centres of London