Description
Goodmayes Hospital is the former West Ham Asylum, which was opened in 1901 by Cllr Abednigo Bishop, Mayor of West Ham Borough Council. Built on an eminence facing south, the Asylum gave views to Ilford and the building was lit by Ilford Council's Generating Station. The main hospital is surrounded on the east, south and west by a large heart-shaped terrace with a low brick perimeter wall and the approach is from the south-east in Barley Lane where there is a late C19th lodge, with iron screen and gates opening to the landscaped drive. The perimeter wall of the airing courts remains. A short horse chestnut avenue to the south of the main building dates from c.1900 and the grounds contain notable robinia, horse chestnut, holly and ash, with an understorey of rhododendron and holly in the gardens. Also within the hospital grounds are playing fields and the remains of a recreation ground adjacent to the Happy Valley, a wooded dell along the west side of the hospital ground near Aldborough Road.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | West Ham Asylum |
|---|---|
| Site location | Barley Lane, Little Heath, Ilford |
| Postcode | IG3 8XJ |
| What3Words | ///camera.repair.fruit |
| Type of Site | Institutional Grounds |
| Borough | Redbridge |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | private, but unrestricted |
| Facilities | sports field |
| Public Transport | Rail: Goodmayes then bus. Tube: Newbury Park (Central), then walk. Bus: 387, 66, 296, 396. |
| Research Updated | 1 September 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Designed to accommodate 350 males and 450 females with a staff of 100, the building plan and general layout of Goodmayes Hospital is similar to that of Claybury Asylum, the site of which is now a gated housing estate, Repton Park, with part of the grounds now a public park, Claybury Woods and Park (q.v.). King George Hospital is adjacent to the north. Seven Kings Water followed the valley, part of which was included in the Recreation Ground when this was built. The Happy Valley is scheduled to be replanted as a woodland.
Goodmayes Hospital became North East London Mental Health Trust in 2001 and in 2008 became North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), from July 2009, providing community-based family health services. It continues to provide mental health and community services for people living in Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham and Havering.
Goodmayes Hospital became North East London Mental Health Trust in 2001 and in 2008 became North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), from July 2009, providing community-based family health services. It continues to provide mental health and community services for people living in Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham and Havering.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ463886 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | North East London NHS Foundation Trust |
| Dates | 1898 - 1901 |
| Listed Structures | Local list: Goodmayes Hospital and peripheral buildings |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Redbridge |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance I (part of site) |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - (part) Archaeology Priority Area |
| Other LA Designation | Strategic Footpath along west boundary |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The Seven Kings area had developed rapidly after the Great Eastern Railway opened the station here. Originally called Seven Kings and Goodmayes Recreation Ground, the park was opened in 1902, laid out on land donated to the borough in 1900 by A. Cameron Corbett, who developed much of Ilford and later became Lord Rowallan. The house of Downshall Farm was demolished to make way for the park and the surrounding estate was developed c.1914. Among facilities provided in Seven Kings Park were an ornate bandstand and bowling green, both of which remain, together with formal planting in a symmetrical layout of beds, largely roses, some trees and shrubs.
Little Heath Green is a triangular site, a remnant of the village green here, which dates back at least to the C14th. The pattern of roads today follows the original settlement pattern. Until 1909 there was a village pond on the Green, which is now surrounded by relatively recent trees. The houses around the green are generally 2-storey domestic buildings ranging from 200 years old to recent date. A timber signpost that was locally listed has since disappeared.
Aldborough Hatch was once part of the lands of Barking Abbey, later owned by the Crown. The need for a new parish arose when the hamlet's population expanded following deforestation of the Crown lands in Hainault Forest, permitted under an Act of Parliament in 1851. The Crown provided the land for a church, with funding provided by the Government and an appeal to wealthy local landowners. A small chapel attached to Aldborough House had existed since at least the C18th and was used as a chapel-at-ease until St Peter's Church was built in 1862/3. Portland Stone from the old Westminster Bridge was used in the church construction. The church and its peaceful churchyard retains its rural aspect, entered through a timber lych gate. To mark the new Millennium, a Memorial Wall was built in the south-west corner of the Garden of Remembrance.