This north Romford neighbourhood is located in the London Borough of Havering, and is mainly made up of the area known as Mawneys, which closely boarders Marks Gate. It is primarily a residential locality with many family homes on its wide, outer suburban streets. A large portion of this development is made of farms and country parks, which highlight the area’s agricultural industry, and provide locals with plenty of sought-after green space. Despite its distance from central London, the neighbourhood is in close proximity to Barkingside and Fairlop Underground stations, both of which operate on the Central line and which make the area attractive to families of commuters who wish to escape the hectic inner city.

The area as a whole is named after Sir Walter de Mauny, who owned the manor of Romford during the 14th century. Nearby Collier Row derives its name from local wood colliers who made a living from the Great Essex Woodland during the 15th and 16th centuries. The area began to expand when Romford station was opened in the late 19th century, and was known for its gypsies who worked the fields and sold handmade items to the nearby cottages. It was split off from Romford town centre in 1925 with the construction of Eastern Avenue, and the Collier Row estate was built shortly after. Politically the area is located in the Romford Parliamentary Constituency, Collier Row and Mawneys fall under the Mawneys local ward.

It is said that at one point Romford’s cattle market was so large, that the local Ford Motor Company had to call a local ‘cowboy’ to round up cattle that had managed to escape and get onto the assembly lines! Collier Row has an industrial history, and during the 15th and 16th centuries charcoal burners were prominent in the area, hence the name.

Collier Row is a majority ethnically white neighbourhood which means the area will not benefit from having the diverse communities that more central areas possess.

Havering Borough Council made the difficult decision in Fall 2022 to suggest a budget that includes services closing, significant changes in other services and a Council Tax increase of 60p per week for a Band D property in the borough, seeing as they are facing a £70 million budget cut over the next 4 years. The council has also proposed to turn two garage sites in Mawneys, the Mawneys Close and Mowbrays Close Garage sites, into supported housing schemes, to create much needed homes and support for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents, and to deliver duties placed on the council for those leaving care.