About Ilford

The suburban borough of Ilford lies less than ten miles from the busy heart of the capital and is centred around its ornate Renaissance-style town hall.

An interesting historic point relating to central Ilford is the fact that the only complete Mammoth skull to be found in the British Isles was unearthed at the present site of Ilford High Road, it now resides on display in the Natural History Museum.

Until recent years the borough gave its name and a home to the renowned photographic film brand, Ilford Photo. The premier manufacturers of black and white photographic film for professional photographers, the name Ilford was synonymous with monochromatic film products. Although the factory in Ilford itself has since closed, the name has been retained by the present owners of the brand, who still manufacture similar products as the original company.

In Ilford's Central Library is the repository of all of the larger borough's local history, The Redbridge Museum, which showcases all the events and people that have shaped Redbridge in general and Ilford in particular over the millennia.

Ilford has played host to several theatres of note over the years, most of which have been lost to redevelopment, but one that remains is The Kenneth More Theatre. The theatre, named after popular fifties film actor Kenneth More, has hosted musical and amateur theatre productions in the past but is best known today for its operas and the comic musicals of Stephen Sondheim.