This corner of Ilford known as Cranbrook consists of meticulously organised streets. All are lined with small but charming terraced houses of different shades of yellow and cream. This neighbourhood is a place that is also very well connected. The area is close to the Redbridge and Gants Hill tube stations, as well as the key roads of A12 and N circular. Despite this, there’s also plentiful greenery that the area’s multicultural and diverse residents have been enjoying for decades.

Sweet Cranbrook was first mentioned in Barking Abbey Records back in 1347. It was also noted for being the home to a key tannery between the 15th and 19th centuries, although much of the area was made up of agricultural plots that supplied food to the city. However, Cranbrook as we know it now emerged in the late 1800s when a local MP developed the housing estate plans for a comfortable middle class life. Today, the area is notable for its strong South Asian population – the restaurant Saravanaa Bhavan is known to all foodies for being of the best places for an Indian veggie curry.

Long before humans roamed the lands of Cranbrook, it was inhabited by Mammoths! Pop into the natural history museum and you’ll see a pair of huge tusks from the now extinct creatures that were found nearby in Ilford.

Some of the obstacles facing this area are considered to be congestion and pollution problems from the busy A12 Eastern Avenue. Additionally, some retail within the commercial areas along Cranbrook Road are in need of renovation. Lastly, there’s a few worries related to the population growth of the area and the strain on housing.

Cranbrook is likely to see the effects of the introduction of the Elizabeth line at nearby Ilford, and the developments that are happening around there such as large-scale redevelopment between the Ilford Hill Flyover and Ilford Station, known as the Ilford Western Gateway. The scheme will contribute to the wider regeneration of the outer-London town, bringing with it 1000 new homes, well-planned walking and cycle routes, new and improved green spaces, over 30,000 square foot of non-residential community space including a larger and better provisioned boxing gym, and a wholesale redevelopment of the existing Ilford gyratory. Work is scheduled to begin in Spring 2024 and bring with it almost 1500 jobs, 300 of which are predicted to be permanent. As a result of the new Elizabeth line, Cranbrook Road was subject to a regeneration scheme that saw improved public space and street improvements.